Young's Literal Translation YLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 And when he openeth the seventh seal, there came silence in the heaven about half-an-hour,
1
When the Lamb ripped off the seventh seal, Heaven fell quiet - complete silence for about half an hour.
2 and I saw the seven messengers who before God have stood, and there were given to them seven trumpets,
2
I saw the Seven Angels who are always in readiness before God handed seven trumpets.
3 and another messenger did come, and he stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given to him much perfume, that he may give [it] to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar that [is] before the throne,
3
Then another Angel, carrying a gold censer, came and stood at the Altar. He was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne.
4 and go up did the smoke of the perfumes to the prayers of the saints out of the hand of the messenger, before God;
4
Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel.
5 and the messenger took the censer, and did fill it out of the fire of the altar, and did cast [it] to the earth, and there came voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
5
Then the Angel filled the censer with fire from the Altar and heaved it to earth. It set off thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven messengers who are having the seven trumpets did prepare themselves that they may sound;
6
The Seven Angels with the trumpets got ready to blow them.
7 and the first messenger did sound, and there came hail and fire, mingled with blood, and it was cast to the land, and the third of the trees was burnt up, and all the green grass was burnt up.
7
At the first trumpet blast, hail and fire mixed with blood were dumped on earth. A third of the earth was scorched, a third of the trees, and every blade of green grass - burned to a crisp.
8 And the second messenger did sound, and as it were a great mountain with fire burning was cast into the sea, and the third of the sea became blood,
8
The second Angel trumpeted. Something like a huge mountain blazing with fire was flung into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,
9 and die did the third of the creatures that [are] in the sea, those having life, and the third of the ships were destroyed.
9
a third of the living sea creatures died, and a third of the ships sank.
10 And the third messenger did sound, and there fell out of the heaven a great star, burning as a lamp, and it did fall upon the third of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters,
10
The third Angel trumpeted. A huge Star, blazing like a torch, fell from Heaven, wiping out a third of the rivers and a third of the springs.
11 and the name of the star is called Wormwood, and the third of the waters doth become wormwood, and many of the men did die of the waters, because they were made bitter.
11
The Star's name was Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter, and many people died from the poisoned water.
12 And the fourth messenger did sound, and smitten was the third of the sun, and the third of the moon, and the third of the stars, that darkened may be the third of them, and that the day may not shine -- the third of it, and the night in like manner.
12
The fourth Angel trumpeted. A third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were hit, blacked out by a third, both day and night in one-third blackout.
13 And I saw, and I heard one messenger, flying in the mid-heaven, saying with a great voice, `Wo, wo, wo, to those dwelling upon the land from the rest of the voices of the trumpet of the three messengers who are about to sound.'
13
I looked hard; I heard a lone eagle, flying through Middle-Heaven, crying out ominously, "Doom! Doom! Doom to everyone left on earth! There are three more Angels about to blow their trumpets. Doom is on its way!"
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.