1 Μετὰ ταῦτα εἶδον καὶ ἰδού—θύρα ἀνεῳγμένη*35 Ma,b,d,e⅗,f,g,hpt,i 0169,CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ ηνεωγμενη Me⅖,hpt ℵA,NU,TR ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ἡ πρώτη ἣν ἤκουσα ὡς σάλπιγγος λαλούσης μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, λέγουσα,*35 Ma⅕,d,e,h¼,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ και λεγουσης Mg ¦ λεγων Ma,b,f,h,i⅔ ℵA,0169,RP,HF,OC,NU (The subject of the verb is ‘voice’, feminine.) «Ἀνάβα ὧδε καὶ δείξω σοι ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα.»

2 Καὶ*35 Mb,d,e,g,h⅓,i CP,RP,OC,TR ¦ --- Ma,f,h⅔,i¼ ℵA,0169,HF,NU (OC is in small print.) εὐθέως ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἰδού, θρόνος ἔκειτο ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ (καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου*35 Md,e,g¼,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ τον θρονον Ma,b,f,g,h,i⅔ ℵA,0169,RP,HF,OC,NU καθήμενος) 3 ὅμοιος*35 Ma,b,d,e,f,gpt,hpt,i⅗ CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ και ο καθημενος 1 Ma⅕,gpt,hpt,i⅓ ℵA,0169,NU ¦ και ο καθημενος ην 1 TR (I suppose the parenthetical observation that closes verse 2 got some copyists off the track, but it was the throne, not the One, that was like jasper.) ὁράσει λίθῳ, ἰάσπιδι καὶ σαρδίῳ,* ¦ σαρδινω Me⅔ TR ¦ σαρδειω Ma⅓ καὶ ἶρις κυκλόθεν τοῦ θρόνου, ὁμοία*35 Mb,g CP ¦ ομοιος Md,e,fpt,hpt,i A,NU,TR ¦ ομοιως Ma,fpt,hpt RP,HF,OC (The adjective is modifying ‘rainbow’.) ὁράσει*35 Mb,d,e,fpt,g,hpt,ipt A,CP,NU,TR ¦ ορασις Ma,fpt,hpt,ipt RP,HF,OC σμαραγδίνῳ.*35 Md,e,fpt,g,h,i A,CP,NU,TR ¦ σμαραγδινων Ma,fpt RP,HF,OC ¦ σμαραγδω Mb 4 Καὶ κυκλόθεν*35 Ma¼,b,e,f⅔,g,h⅔,i⅔ A,CP,RP,OC,NU,TR ¦ 1 κυκλω Md ¦ κυκλωθεν Ma,f⅓,h⅓,i⅓ HF (OC is in small print.) τοῦ θρόνου θρόνοι* ¦ θρονους Mb,h⅓ NU εἴκοσι τέσσαρες,*35¼ Mapt,d⅓,ept,f,hpt,i⅔ CP,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ κδ΄ f35 Mapt,bpt,d⅓,ept,gpt,hpt ¦ 1 και 2 Mbpt,d⅓,gpt ℵA,TR (The split in virtually every group suggests that some factor other than conviction as to the original form was at work [especially since there is no difference in meaning]; the distribution of MSS to the three variants is roughly 40:50:10% [the abbreviation loses 15 MSS below]; the economic factor behind the use of abbreviated forms for numbers and sacred names would presumably make itself felt when copies began to be proliferated, not when the Autographs were being penned; I conclude that the abbreviation is not original.) καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς θρόνους εἶδον*35 Mi⅓ CP,TR ¦ --- Ma,b,d,e,f,g,h,i⅔ A,RP,HF,OC,NU (Are the elders to receive separate treatment, or not? Given their prominence in what follows, probably so. Verses 2-3 are without an independent verb, so it is about time. Note also that the definite article occurs with the first mention of the elders.) τοὺς* ¦ --- Md⅔,e⅔,i⅓ εἴκοσι τέσσαρας*35¼ Mapt,d¼,ept,f,h⅓,ipt A,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ κδ΄ f35 Mapt,b,dpt,e⅓,g ¦ 1 και 2 Md¼,e¼,h TR πρεσβυτέρους καθημένους, περιβεβλημένους ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς, καὶ* ¦ 1 εσχον TR ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν στεφάνους χρυσοῦς. 5 Καὶ ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου ἐκπορεύονται ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί·* ¦ ∼ 321 TR καὶ ἑπτὰ λαμπάδες πυρὸς καιόμεναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ,*35 Ma,b,d,e⅖,f,g⅔,h¼,i CP,RP,HF ¦ --- Me⅗,g⅓,h,i¼ ℵA,OC,NU,TR αἵ εἰσιν* ¦ α 2 Ma⅛,e⅓ NU ¦ α εστιν A ¦ ℵ omits ten words ἑπτὰ*35 Ma,b,e⅗,f,g⅔,h⅓,i CP,RP,HF ¦ τα 1 Md,e⅖,h⅔ A,OC,NU,TR (Without the article the reference is presumably not to the Holy Spirit.) πνεύματα τοῦ Θεοῦ· 6 καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου ὡς* ¦ --- Me⅔ TR ¦ αυτου 1 Mg θάλασσα ὑαλίνη,* ¦ υελινη Ma⅙,b⅕,c¼,ept,h⅓ CP ὁμοία κρυστάλῳ.*35 Ma⅛,e⅙,g⅓,h¼ ¦ κρυσταλλω Ma,b,c3/7,d,e,f,g⅔,h,i ℵA,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR (Although λλ→λ would presumably be easier as a transcriptional error than the reverse, in 21:12 John apparently invents the verb κρυσταλιζω, spelling it with a single ‘l’—I take it that he did the same thing with the noun, here and in 22:1, but the unusual spelling led copyists to ‘correct’ him, especially in a matter perceived to be of virtually no consequence.)

Καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ κύκλῳ τοῦ θρόνου τέσσαρα ζῷα γέμοντα ὀφθαλμῶν, ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν. 7 Καὶ τὸ ζῷον τὸ πρῶτον ὅμοιον λέοντι, καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ζῷον ὅμοιον μόσχῳ, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ζῷον ἔχον* ¦ εχων Ma¼,b⅓,d⅕,e⅓,f⅕,g,h⅕,i⅖ A,NU τὸ πρόσωπον ὡς ἄνθρωπος,*g) προσωπον ως ανθρωπος f35 Md,e,g,h⅔,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ 2 ανθρωπου Ma,b,e⅕,f,h⅓,i⅔ RP,HF ¦ 123 ανθρωπου A,OC,NU ¦ 123 ομοιον ανθρωπω ℵ καὶ τὸ τέταρτον ζῷον*35 Ma⅕,d,e,g,h,ipt ℵA,CP,RP,OC,NU,TR ¦ --- Ma,b,e⅕,f,h¼,ipt HF ὅμοιον ἀετῷ πετομένῳ.* ¦ πετωμενω [15 assorted mss] CP,TR 8 Καὶ τὰ*35 Ma⅓,b,d,fpt,g,h,i⅗ ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ --- Ma⅔,e,fpt,i⅖ CP,TR τέσσαρα ζῷα, ἓν καθ᾿ ἓν αὐτῶν,*35 Md,e⅔,g,hpt,i⅓ ℵA,CP,OC,NU ¦ 12 εστως Mb ¦ 1 Ma,e⅓,f,i⅔ RP,HF ¦ εαυτο TR ¦ 1 εκαστον Mhpt ℵ ἔχον*35 Ma,bpt,d⅓,e⅗,f,h¼,i⅗ CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ εχων Ma⅕,bpt,e⅖,g,h⅕,i⅓ A,NU ¦ εχει Md ¦ ειχον ℵ,TR ¦ εχοντα Mhpt (The neuter singular is correct.) ἀνὰ πτέρυγας ἕξ, κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσωθεν γέμουσιν* ¦ γεμοντα Mh⅓ TR ὀφθαλμῶν. Καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, λέγοντα·*35 Mh⅓ CP,TR ¦ λεγοντες Ma,b,c⅓,d,e,f,g,h⅔,i ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU (The Subject of the participle is τα ζωα, neuter, so the neuter form is correct, in spite of the slim attestation. It seems clear from verse 9 that it is only the four living beings who are repeating ‘holy’, but if copyists thought the elders were in chorus with the living beings, they would naturally change the gender to masculine. In spite of the split in f35, most of the better representatives of the family attest the first variant.) «Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος· Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος· Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος·*35 Ma⅔,b,f (ℵ)CP,HF ¦ αγιος (three times) Ma⅓,d,e,g,h,i A,RP,OC,NU,TR (Surely it is more likely that ‘nine’ would be changed to ‘three’ than vice versa; in fact, try reading ‘holy’ nine times in a row out loud—it starts to get uncomfortable! Since in the context the living ones are repeating themselves endlessly, the ‘nine’ is both appropriate and effective; three ‘holies’ for each member of the Trinity.) Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Παντοκράτωρ, ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος.»

9 Καὶ ὅταν δῶσιν*35 Ma,b,e⅖,f,h¼,ipt RP,HF,OC ¦ δωσωσιν Mept,g ℵ ¦ δωσουσιν Ma⅙,d,h,ipt A,NU,TR ¦ δωσει CP τὰ ζῷα δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ εὐχαριστίαν τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου,* ¦ τω θρονω ℵA[+6 mss]NU τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, 10 πεσοῦνται οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες*35¼ Mapt,b,d¼,ept,f,g⅓,hpt,ipt ℵA,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ κδ΄ f35 Mapt,d,ept,g⅔,hpt ¦ 1 και 2 TR πρεσβύτεροι ἐνώπιον τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν* ¦ προσκυνουσιν TR τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, καὶ βαλοῦσιν* ¦ βαλλουσιν Me¼,g⅓ ℵ,CP,TR τοὺς στεφάνους αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου λέγοντες· 11 «Ἄξιος εἶ, ὁ Κύριος καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ Ἅγιος,*35 Ma,b,e⅕,f,h¼,i⅔ CP,RP,HF ¦ 123456 Mh⅓ A,NU ¦ 12356 ℵ,OC ¦ κυριε 456 Md,e⅔,g,h⅓ ¦ κυριε TR λαβεῖν τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, ὅτι σὺ ἔκτισας τὰ*35 Md,e,h,i⅓ ℵA,CP,OC,NU,TR ¦ --- Ma,b,e¼,f,g,h¼,i⅔ RP,HF πάντα, καὶ διὰ τὸ θέλημά σού εἰσιν*35 Mb,d,e,g,hpt,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ ησαν Ma,f,hpt,i⅔ ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ ουκ ησαν Mh⅓ καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν.»