⁴ I said to the angel who spoke with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁴ Then I said to the angel who spoke with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁹ Then I said, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who spoke with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”^(A)

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

⁶ I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is a basket^[a] coming out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity^[b] in the whole land.”

¹⁹ I asked the angel who spoke with me, “What are those?” And he answered me, “Those are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

¹³ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” ¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.^(A)

¹² And a second time I said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees that pour out the oil^[a] through the two golden pipes?” ¹³ He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” ¹⁴ Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”^(A)

⁸ I heard but could not understand, so I said, “My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?”

¹⁶ I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter:^{(A) 17} “As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever.”^(B)

¹⁹ Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet;