REV 5:1-10

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

1And I saw on the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice: 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?'

3And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

4And I wept greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

5And one of the elders said to me: 'Stop weeping. Look — the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered — he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.'

6And I saw, in the midst of the throne and of the four living beings and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as one slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

7And he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one seated on the throne.

8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

9And they sing a new song, saying: 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered, and by your blood you purchased for God people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10and you made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.'

In the world it was spoken into

In the first-century Mediterranean world, scrolls were authoritative documents, often sealed to signify their importance or to protect their contents. A scroll sealed with seven seals would have been understood as a document of utmost significance, possibly a legal will, a royal decree, or a divine revelation. The inability of anyone in heaven, earth, or under the earth to open it underscores the cosmic scale of its importance and the universal failure of human and spiritual powers to access its contents. The weeping of the seer reflects the deep cultural value placed on honor and worthiness; to be deemed (worthy) was to hold a position of honor in a society governed by an honor-shame economy. The Lamb, described as (slain), evokes the imagery of sacrificial slaughter, a concept familiar in both Jewish temple rituals and Greco-Roman cultic practices. The Lamb’s worthiness to open the scroll would have been seen as a divine reversal of expectations, elevating the sacrificial victim to a position of supreme authority.

›See the receipts

How other translations render this

REV 5:1

KJV: And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
BSB: Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
Koinōnos: And I saw on the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

REV 5:2

KJV: And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
BSB: And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
Koinōnos: And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice: 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?

REV 5:3

KJV: And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
BSB: But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it.
Koinōnos: And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

REV 5:4

KJV: And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
BSB: And I began to weep bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.
Koinōnos: And I wept greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

REV 5:5

KJV: And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
BSB: Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Koinōnos: And one of the elders said to me: 'Stop weeping. Look — the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered — he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.

REV 5:6

KJV: And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
BSB: Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Koinōnos: And I saw, in the midst of the throne and of the four living beings and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as one slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

REV 5:7

KJV: And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
BSB: And He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated on the throne.
Koinōnos: And he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one seated on the throne.

REV 5:8

KJV: And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
BSB: When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Koinōnos: And when he had taken the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

REV 5:9

KJV: And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
BSB: And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Koinōnos: And they sing a new song, saying: 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered, and by your blood you purchased for God people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

REV 5:10

KJV: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
BSB: You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
Koinōnos: and you made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

REV 5:1

a scroll:The word translated 'a scroll' refers to a papyrus document, often used for official records or legal documents, not necessarily a book as we understand it today.
sealed:The term translated 'sealed' implies a complete and secure sealing, often with multiple seals, indicating that the contents were fully protected and inaccessible until the seals were broken.

REV 5:2

is:The word translated 'is' here carries the sense of being 'worthy' or 'deserving' of something, often in a judicial or evaluative context, rather than simply stating existence.

REV 5:6

standing:The word translated 'standing' here is more literally 'slaughtered' or 'sacrificed,' emphasizing a violent death, often in a ritualistic context, rather than merely being in an upright position.