The Seven Bowls

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying (A)to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the [a]bowls (B)of the wrath of God on the earth.”

First Bowl: Loathsome Sores

So the first went and poured out his bowl (C)upon the earth, and a [b]foul and (D)loathsome sore came upon the men (E)who had the mark of the beast and those (F)who worshiped his image.

Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood

Then the second angel poured out his bowl (G)on the sea, and (H)it became blood as of a dead man; (I)and every living creature in the sea died.

Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood

Then the third angel poured out his bowl (J)on the rivers and springs of water, (K)and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying:

(L)“You are righteous, [c]O Lord,
The One (M)who is and who [d]was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things.
For (N)they have shed the blood (O)of saints and prophets,
(P)And You have given them blood to drink.
[e]For it is their just due.”

And I heard [f]another from the altar saying, “Even so, (Q)Lord God Almighty, (R)true and righteous are Your judgments.”

Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl (S)on the sun, (T)and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they (U)blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; (V)and they did not repent (W)and give Him glory.

Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain

10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl (X)on the throne of the beast, (Y)and his kingdom became full of darkness; (Z)and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl (AA)on the great river Euphrates, (AB)and its water was dried up, (AC)so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean (AD)spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of (AE)the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of (AF)the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, (AG)performing signs, which go out to the kings [g]of the earth and of (AH)the whole world, to gather them to (AI)the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 (AJ)“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, (AK)lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

16 (AL)And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, [h]Armageddon.

Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, (AM)“It is done!” 18 And (AN)there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; (AO)and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake (AP)as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now (AQ)the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And (AR)great Babylon (AS)was remembered before God, (AT)to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then (AU)every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 16:1 NU, M seven bowls
  2. Revelation 16:2 severe and malignant, lit. bad and evil
  3. Revelation 16:5 NU, M omit O Lord
  4. Revelation 16:5 NU, M was, the Holy One
  5. Revelation 16:6 NU, M omit For
  6. Revelation 16:7 NU, M omit another from
  7. Revelation 16:14 NU, M omit of the earth and
  8. Revelation 16:16 Lit. Mount Megiddo; M Megiddo

Six Bowls of Wrath

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath and indignation of God.”(A)

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and loathsome and malignant sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.(B)

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse [foul and disgusting]; and every living [a]thing in the sea died.

Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water; and they turned into blood.(C) And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous and just are You, Who are and Who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they have poured out the blood of the saints (God’s people) and the prophets, and You [in turn] have given them blood to drink. They deserve Your judgment.”(D) And I heard [another from] the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Your judgments are true and fair and righteous.”(E)

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch humanity with [raging] fire. People were [severely] burned by the great heat; and they reviled the name of God who has power over these plagues, but they did not repent [of their sin] and glorify Him.

10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness; and people gnawed their tongues because of the pain [of their excruciating anguish and severe torment],(F) 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their anguish and their sores (abscesses, boils); and they did not repent of what they had done nor hate their wickedness.

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for [the coming of] the kings from [b]the east.(G)

Armageddon

13 And I saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, leaping from the mouth of the dragon (Satan) and from the mouth of the beast (Antichrist, dictator) and from the mouth of the false prophet;(H) 14 for they are [actually] the spirits of demons, performing [miraculous] signs. And they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. [c]Blessed is he who [d]stays awake and who keeps his clothes [that is, stays spiritually ready for the Lord’s return], so that he will not be naked—spiritually unprepared—and men will not see his shame.”)(I) 16 And they (demons) gathered the kings and armies of the world together at the place which in Hebrew is called [e]Har-Magedon (Armageddon).

Seventh Bowl of Wrath

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne [of God], saying, “It is done. [It is all over, it is all accomplished, it has come.]” 18 And there were flashes of lightning and loud rumblings and peals of thunder; and there was a massive earthquake—nothing like it has ever occurred since mankind originated on the earth, so severe and far-reaching was that earthquake.(J) 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And God kept in mind Babylon the great, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce and furious wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and no mountains could be found. 21 And giant hailstones, as heavy as a [f]talent, fell from the sky on the people; and people reviled and spoke abusively of God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so very great.(K)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 16:3 Lit soul.
  2. Revelation 16:12 Lit the rising sun. Using this phrase, or just the rising, was the ancient way of referring to the east. A dry Euphrates would enable massive armies to travel quickly from the region of Iraq (Babylonia) to territory north of Israel (Syria) in preparation for the battle at Har-Magedon (v 16).
  3. Revelation 16:15 This is the third of the seven promised blessings. See note 1:3.
  4. Revelation 16:15 These are metaphorical statements referring to a believer who is always expecting the return of Christ, and maintains a lifestyle (the clothing) of which he will not be ashamed when that day comes.
  5. Revelation 16:16 The name means “mountain of Megiddo” and indicates a region west and slightly south of the Sea of Galilee.
  6. Revelation 16:21 A talent weighs about a hundred pounds.

16 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.