1-2. After this I saw four angels. Each one was standing on one of the earth's four corners. The angels held back the four winds, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. These angels had also been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Then I saw another angel come up from where the sun rises in the east, and he was ready to put the mark of the living God on people. He shouted to the four angels,
3. “Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
4. Then I heard how many people had been marked on the forehead. There were one hundred and forty-four thousand, and they came from every tribe of Israel:
5. 12,000 from Judah,12,000 from Reuben,12,000 from Gad,
6. 12,000 from Asher,12,000 from Naphtali,12,000 from Manasseh,
7. 12,000 from Simeon,12,000 from Levi,12,000 from Issachar,
8. 12,000 from Zebulun,12,000 from Joseph, and12,000 from Benjamin.
9. After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands,
10. as they shouted,“Our God, who sitsupon the throne,has the powerto save his people,and so does the Lamb.”
11. The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshipped God
12. and said,“Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom,thanks, honour, power,and strength belong to our Godfor ever and ever! Amen!”
13. One of the elders asked me, “Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?”
14. “Sir,” I answered, “you must know.”Then he told me:“These are the oneswho have gone throughthe great suffering.They have washed their robesin the blood of the Lamband have made them white.
15. And so they standbefore the throne of Godand worship him in his templeday and night.The one who sits on the thronewill spread his tentover them.
16. They will never hungeror thirst again,and they won't be troubledby the sunor any scorching heat.
17. “The Lamb in the centreof the thronewill be their shepherd.He will lead them to streamsof life-giving water,and God will wipe all tearsfrom their eyes.”