And now I saw four angels, standing at the world’s four corners, and holding back the four winds of the world, so that no wind should blow on land or sea, or upon any of the trees.

And I saw a second angel coming up from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were empowered to lay waste land and sea;

Do not lay waste land or sea or wood, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of those who serve our God.

Then I heard the count of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand of them, taken from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

Twelve thousand were sealed from the tribe of Juda, twelve thousand from the tribe of Ruben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad;

twelve thousand from the tribe of Nephthali, twelve thousand from the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasses;

twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar;

twelve thousand from the tribe of Zabulon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin.✻

And then I saw a great multitude, past all counting, taken from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne in the Lamb’s presence, clothed in white robes, with palm-branches in their hands,

and cried with a loud voice, To our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, all saving power belongs.

And all the angels that were standing round the throne, round the elders and the living figures, fell prostrate before the throne and paid God worship;

Amen, they cried, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength belong to our God through endless ages, Amen.

And now one of the elders turned to me, and asked, Who are they, and whence do they come, these who are robed in white?

My Lord, said I, thou canst tell me. These, he said, have come here out of the great affliction; they have washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

And now they stand before God’s throne, serving him day and night in his temple; the presence of him who sits on the throne shall overshadow them.

They will not be hungry or thirsty any more; no sun, no noonday heat, shall fall across their path.

The Lamb, who dwells where the throne is, will be their shepherd, leading them out to the springs whose water is life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.