Revelation 11
New Testament for Everyone
Two witnesses
11 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me. “Get up,” said a voice, “and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who are worshiping in it. 2 But omit the outer court of the temple. Don’t measure it. It is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 I will give my two witnesses the task of prophesying, clothed in sackcloth, for those one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 4 These two are the two olive trees, the two lampstands, which stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. So if anyone wants to harm them, that is how such a person must be killed. 6 These two have authority to shut up the sky, so that it will not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with any plague, as often as they see fit. 7 When they have completed their testimony, the monster that comes up from the Abyss will make war on them, and will defeat and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 Their bodies will be seen by the peoples, tribes, languages and nations for three and a half days. They will not allow their bodies to be buried in a tomb. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will celebrate over them, and make merry, and send presents to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on earth.”
11 After the three and a half days the spirit of life from God came in to them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on all who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven. “Come up here!” it said. And they went up to heaven on a cloud, with their enemies looking on. 13 At that moment there was a huge earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand of the people were killed by the earthquake. The rest were very much afraid, and glorified the God of heaven.
14 The second Woe has passed. The third Woe is coming very soon.
The song of triumph
15 The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and loud voices were heard from heaven. “Now the kingdom of the world has passed to our Lord and his Messiah,” said the voices, “and he will reign forever and ever.” 16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones in God’s presence fell on their faces and worshiped God.
17 This is what they said:
“Almighty Lord God, we give you our thanks,
Who Is and Who Was,
because you have taken your power, your great power,
and begun to reign.
18 The nations were raging; your anger came down
and with it the time for judging the dead
to give the reward to your servants the prophets,
the holy ones, too, and the small and the great—
all those who fear your name.
It is time to destroy the destroyers of the earth.”
19 God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared inside his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, thunderclaps, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
Revelation 11
English Standard Version
The Two Witnesses
11 Then I was given (A)a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure (B)the court outside the temple; leave that out, for (C)it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for (D)forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for (E)1,260 days, (F)clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are (G)the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, (H)fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, (I)this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power (J)to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and (K)to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, (L)the beast that rises from (M)the bottomless pit[a] (N)will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically[b] is called (O)Sodom and (P)Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and (Q)refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and (R)those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and (S)exchange presents, because these two prophets (T)had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days (U)a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, (V)“Come up here!” And (W)they went up to heaven (X)in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was (Y)a great earthquake, and (Z)a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and (AA)gave glory to (AB)the God of heaven.
14 (AC)The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then (AD)the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and (AE)there were loud voices in heaven, saying, (AF)“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of (AG)his Christ, and (AH)he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders (AI)who sit on their thrones before God (AJ)fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
(AK)who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and (AL)begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but (AM)your wrath came,
and (AN)the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and (AO)those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and (AP)for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
19 Then (AQ)God's temple in heaven was opened, and (AR)the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,[c] peals of thunder, an earthquake, and (AS)heavy hail.
Footnotes
- Revelation 11:7 Or the abyss
- Revelation 11:8 Greek spiritually
- Revelation 11:19 Or voices, or sounds
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
