Revelation 16
New Testament for Everyone
The first four plagues
16 Then I heard a loud voice coming from the temple, addressing the seven angels. “Off you go,” said the voice, “and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s anger.” 2 So the first one went off and poured out his bowl on the earth. Foul, painful sores came on the people who had the mark of the monster, and on those who worshiped its image. 3 The second one poured his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that from a corpse. Every living thing in the sea died. 4 The third one poured his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5 Then I heard the angel of the waters saying,
“You are the one Who Is and Who Was,
you are the holy one, and you are just!
you have passed the righteous sentence:
6 they spilt the blood of saints and prophets
and you have given them blood to drink.
They deserve it.”
7 And I heard the altar respond, “Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and just.”
8 Then the fourth angel poured his bowl upon the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with its fire. 9 People were burned up by its great heat, and they cursed the name of the God who had authority over these plagues. They did not repent or give him glory.
The last three plagues
10 Then the fifth angel poured his bowl upon the throne of the monster. Its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and people chewed their tongues because of the pain 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their agonies and their terrible sores. They did not repent of what they had been doing.
12 Then the sixth angel poured his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up in order to prepare the way for the kings from the rising sun. 13 Then I saw three unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the monster, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They were like frogs. 14 These are the spirits of demons, who perform signs and go off to the kings of the whole earth, to gather them together for war on the great day of Almighty God. 15 (Look—I am coming like a thief! God’s blessing on the one who stays awake, and on those who keep their robes about them, so as not to go around naked and have their shame exposed!) 16 And they gathered the kings together at the place which in Hebrew is called Mount Megiddo.
17 Then the seventh angel poured his bowl on the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne. “It is done!” said the voice. 18 There were lightnings and rumblings, and thunderclaps and a great earthquake, such as there had never been before, no, not such a great earthquake since the time that humans came on the earth. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. Then Babylon the Great was recalled in the presence of God, so that he could give her the cup of the wine of his anger. 20 Every island fled away, and the mountains disappeared. 21 Enormous hailstones, each weighing a hundred pounds, fell from the sky on people. They cursed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was terrible.
Revelation 16
Expanded Bible
The Bowls of God’s Anger
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s ·anger [wrath] on the earth.”
2 The first angel left and poured out his bowl on the land. Then ·ugly [foul] and painful sores [C reminiscent of the sixth Egyptian plague; Ex. 9:9–11; Job 2] came upon all those who had the ·mark [brand] of the beast and who worshiped his ·idol [image].
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood like that of a ·dead man [corpse; C reminiscent of the first Egyptian plague; Ex. 7:14–21; see also 8:8–9], and every living thing in the sea died.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood [C also similar to the first Egyptian plague]. 5 Then I heard the angel of the waters saying:
“[L O] Holy One, you are the One who is and who was.
You are ·right [just] ·to decide to punish [or because you judged] these ·evil people [L things].
6 [L Because] They have poured out the blood of your ·holy people [T saints] and your prophets.
So now you have given them blood to drink as they deserve [Is. 49:26].”
7 And I heard ·a voice coming from the altar [L the altar] saying:
“Yes, Lord God ·Almighty [All-powerful],
·the way you punish evil people is [L your judgments are] ·right [true] and ·fair [just; righteous].”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and ·he [or it; C either the sun or the angel] was given ·power [authority] to ·burn [scorch] the people with fire. 9 They were ·burned [scorched] by the great heat, and they ·cursed [blasphemed] the name of God, who had ·control [authority; power] over these ·disasters [plagues]. But the people ·refused to change their hearts and lives [L did not repent] and give ·glory [honor] to God.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and darkness covered its kingdom [8:12; C reminiscent of the ninth Egyptian plague; Ex. 10:21–29]. People ·gnawed [bit] their tongues because of the ·pain [agony]. 11 They also cursed the God of heaven because of their pain and the sores they had, but they refused to ·change their hearts and turn away [repent] from ·the evil things they did [L their deeds].
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates so that the water in the river was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east to come [C reminiscent of the splitting of the Red Sea and the Jordan; Ex. 14:21–22; Josh. 3:13–17]. 13 Then I saw three ·evil [L unclean] spirits that looked like frogs [C reminiscent of the second Egyptian plague; Ex. 8:1–15] coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 [L For] These evil spirits are the spirits of demons, ·which have power to do miracles [L that perform signs]. They go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the battle on the great day of God ·Almighty [All-powerful].
15 “Listen [L Look; T Behold]! I will come as a thief comes [C that is, without warning]! ·Blessed [Happy] are those who stay ·awake [alert] and keep their clothes on [C a metaphor for staying faithful and pure] so that they will not walk around naked and have people see their shame.”
16 Then ·the evil spirits [L they] gathered the kings together to the place that is called Armageddon in the Hebrew language [C meaning “Mountain of Megiddo,” a strategic pass in northern Israel].
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. Then a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It ·is finished [is done; has come to pass]!” 18 Then there were flashes of lightning, ·noises, thunder [rumbling thunder], and a ·big [great] earthquake [4:5; 11:19]—the ·worst [greatest; most violent] earthquake that has ever happened since people have been on earth. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations ·were destroyed [fell; collapsed]. And God remembered ·the sins of Babylon [L Babylon] the Great, so he gave that city the cup filled with the wine of ·his terrible anger [L the anger/fury of his wrath; 14:8]. 20 Then every island ·ran away [fled], and mountains ·disappeared [L were not to be found]. 21 Giant hailstones, each weighing about ·a hundred pounds [L a talent], fell from the sky upon people [C reminiscent of the seventh Egyptian plague; 11:19; Ex. 9:13–35]. People ·cursed [blasphemed] God for the ·disaster [plague] of the hail, because this ·disaster [plague] was so terrible.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.