1 AFTER this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind might blow on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it had been granted to harm the land and the sea

3 and said, "Do not harm the land or the sea or any tree until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads."

4 I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

5 Of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed, Of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,

6 Of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand,

7 Of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand,

8 Of the tribe of Zebulon, twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand.

9 After this I looked and there was a great multitude which no one could count, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed in white robes and with palms in their hands,

10 and they shouted with a loud voice saying, "Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb!"

11 And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God

12 saying, "Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God for the ages of the ages! Amen."

13 Then one of the elders spoke to me and said, "These who wear the white robes \'97 who are they and where have they come from?"

14 I said to him, "My Lord, you know." He said to me, "These have come out of the great distress and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God and worship him day and night in his Temple, and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16 They will not hunger any more nor thirst any more, nor will the sun strike on them nor any burning heat,

17 for the Lamb who is in the center before the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."