1 I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.

Then I saw another strong angel coming down from heaven covered with a cloud. He had many colors around his head. His face was like the sun. His feet were like long flames of fire.

2 H e had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.

He had in his hand a little book that was open. The angel put his right foot on the sea. He put his left foot on the land.

3 H e cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.

He cried with a loud voice like the sound of a lion. The seven thunders sounded.

4 W hen the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.”

I was ready to write when the seven thunders had spoken. Then I heard the voice from heaven saying, “Lock up the things which the seven thunders have spoken. Do not write them!”

5 T he angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky,

Then the strong angel that I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted his right hand to heaven.

6 a nd swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay,

He made a promise in the name of God Who lives forever, Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. He promised that there will be no more waiting.

7 b ut in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets.

And when the seventh angel blows his horn, God will put His secret plan into action. It will be done just as He told it to the early preachers, His servants.

8 T he voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”

Then the voice I heard from heaven spoke to me again. It said, “Go and take the little book that is open. It is in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

9 I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. He said to me, “Take it, and eat it up. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”

I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. He said, “Take it and eat it. It will taste like honey in your mouth. But after you have eaten it, it will make your stomach sour.”

10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

Then I took it from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but it made my stomach sour after I had eaten it.

11 T hey told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

Then they said to me, “You must tell what will happen again in front of many people and nations and families and kings.”