Revelation 4–6; Proverbs 26

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Revelation 4–6

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me flike a trumpet, said, gCome up here, and hI will show you what must take place after this. At once iI was in the Spirit, and behold, ja throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of kjasper and carnelian, and around the throne was la rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were mtwenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, nclothed in white garments, with ogolden crowns on their heads. From the throne came pflashes of lightning, and rumblings1 and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning qseven torches of fire, rwhich are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was sas it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are tfour living creatures, ufull of eyes in front and behind: vthe first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, weach of them with six wings, are xfull of eyes all around and within, and yday and night they never cease to say,

zHoly, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

awho was and is and is to come!

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, bwho lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders cfall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast dtheir crowns before the throne, saying,

11  eWorthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for fyou created all things,

and gby your will they existed and were created.

The Scroll and the Lamb

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne ha scroll written within and on the back, isealed with seven seals. And jI saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals? And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more; behold, kthe Lion lof the tribe of Judah, mthe Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw na Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with oseven eyes, which are pthe seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders qfell down before the Lamb, reach holding a harp, and sgolden bowls full of incense, twhich are the prayers of the saints. And they sang ua new song, saying,

Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for vyou were slain, and by your blood wyou ransomed people for God

from xevery tribe and language and people and nation,

10  and you have made them ya kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering zmyriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

aWorthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!

13 And I heard bevery creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!

14 And the four living creatures csaid, Amen! and the elders dfell down and worshiped.

The Seven Seals

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of ethe seven seals, and I heard fone of the four living creatures say gwith a voice like thunder, hCome! And I looked, and behold, ia white horse! And jits rider had a bow, and ka crown was given to him, and he came out lconquering, and to conquer.

When he opened the second seal, I heard mthe second living creature say, Come! And out came another horse, nbright red. Its rider was permitted oto take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

When he opened the third seal, I heard the mthird living creature say, Come! And I looked, and behold, pa black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, qA quart2 of wheat for a denarius,3 and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and rdo not harm the oil and wine!

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of mthe fourth living creature say, Come! And I looked, and behold, sa pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill twith sword and with famine and with pestilence and uby wild beasts of the earth.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under vthe altar wthe souls of those who had been slain xfor the word of God and for ythe witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, O Sovereign Lord, zholy and true, ahow long bbefore you will judge and cavenge our blood on dthose who dwell on the earth? 11 Then they were each given ea white robe and ftold to rest a little longer, guntil the number of their fellow servants and their brothers4 hshould be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, ithere was a great earthquake, and jthe sun became black as ksackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and lthe stars of the sky fell to the earth mas the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 nThe sky vanished mlike a scroll that is being rolled up, and oevery mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave5 and free, phid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 qcalling to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of rhim who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for sthe great day of their wrath has come, and twho can stand?


Proverbs 26

Like snow in summer or urain in harvest,

so vhonor is wnot fitting for a fool.

Like xa sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

ya curse that is causeless does not alight.

zA whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and aa rod for the back of fools.

bAnswer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

cAnswer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be dwise in his own eyes.

Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and edrinks violence.

Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Like one who binds the stone in the sling

is fone who gives honor to a fool.

Like ga thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

10  Like an archer who wounds everyone

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.1

11  Like ha dog that returns to his vomit

is ia fool who repeats his folly.

12  Do you see a man who is jwise in his own eyes?

kThere is more hope for a fool than for him.

13  lThe sluggard says, There is a lion in the road!

There is a lion in the streets!

14  As a door turns on its hinges,

so does a sluggard on his bed.

15  mThe sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.

16  The sluggard is jwiser in his own eyes

nthan seven men who can answer sensibly.

17  Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own

is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.

18  Like a madman who throws ofirebrands, arrows, and death

19  is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, I am only joking!

20  For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no pwhisperer, qquarreling ceases.

21  As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,

so is ra quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

22  sThe words of pa whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body.

23  tLike the uglaze2 covering an earthen vessel

are fervent lips with an evil heart.

24  Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips

and harbors deceit in his heart;

25  vwhen he speaks graciously, believe him not,

for there are wseven abominations in his heart;

26  though his hatred be covered with deception,

his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

27  xWhoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

28  A lying tongue hates its victims,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.