14:1 Then 1 I looked, and here was 2 the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 14:2 I also heard a sound 3 coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now 4 the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, 14:3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No 5 one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.
14:4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves 6 with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, 14:5 and no lie was found on their lips; 7 they 8 are blameless.
14:6 Then 9 I saw another 10 angel flying directly overhead, 11 and he had 12 an eternal gospel to proclaim 13 to those who live 14 on the earth – to every nation, tribe, 15 language, and people. 14:7 He declared 16 in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has arrived, and worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water!”
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
2 tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
3 tn Or “a voice” (cf. Rev 1:15), but since in this context nothing is mentioned as the content of the voice, it is preferable to translate φωνή (fwnh) as “sound” here.
4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new topic.
5 tn Grk “elders, and no one.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but because of the length and complexity of the sentence a new sentence was started here in the translation.
6 tn The aorist passive verb is rendered as a reflexive (“defiled themselves”) by BDAG 657 s.v. μολύνω 2.
7 tn Grk “in their mouth was not found a lie.”
8 tc Several
9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
10 tc Most
11 tn L&N 1.10 states, “a point or region of the sky directly above the earth – ‘high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.’”
12 tn Grk “having.”
13 tn Or “an eternal gospel to announce as good news.”
14 tn Grk “to those seated on the earth.”
15 tn Grk “and tribe,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
16 tn Grk “people, saying.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence. For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.