Chapter 10

¹Then I saw another mighty angel descend from heaven. He was clothed in a cloud, and a rainbow encircled his head. His face was like the sun, his legs were like pillars of fire, ²and he had a little scroll open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³and he uttered a great shout like the roar of a lion; and when he shouted, the seven thunders raised their voices. ⁴When the seven thunders had spoken I was going to write it down, but I heard a voice from heaven say,

“Seal up what the seven thunders have said! Do not write it down!”

⁵Then the angel, whom I had seen standing on the sea and on the land, raised his right hand to heaven, ⁶and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, that there should be no more delay, ⁷but at the time when the seventh angel spoke, when he should blow his trumpet, then God’s mysterious purpose, the good news of which he gave to his slaves the prophets, would be accomplished. ⁸Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, and said,

“Go and take the little scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

⁹So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me,

“Take it and eat it; it will be bitter in your stomach, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”

¹⁰So I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it did taste as sweet as honey, but when I had eaten it, it made my stomach bitter. ¹¹Then they said to me,

“You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings!”