Bilingual reading

After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven; and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.”

Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne

that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at.

Around the throne were twenty-four thrones. On the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads.

Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.

The first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.

The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”

When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever,

the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed and were created!”

رأَيتُ بَعدَ ذٰلك بابًا مَفْتوحًا في السَّماء، وإِذا الصَّوتُ الأَوَّلُ الَّذي سَمِعتُه يُخاطِبُني كأَنَّه بوق، يَقول: «إِصعَدْ إِلى هٰهُنا، فسأُريكَ ما لا بُدَّ من حُدوثِه بَعدَ ذٰلك»

فٱختَطَفَني الرُّوحُ لِوَقتِه. وإِذا بِعَرشٍ قد نُصِبَ في السَّماء، وعلى العَرشِ قد جَلَسَ واحِدٌ

والجالِسُ على العَرشِ مَنظَرُه أَشبَهُ بِحَجَرِ اليَشْبِ والياقوتِ الأَحمَر، وحَولَ العَرشِ هالَةٌ مَنظَرُها أَشبَهُ بِالزُّمُرُّد

وحَولَ العَرشِ أَربَعَةٌ وعِشْرونَ عَرشًا، وعلى العُروشِ جَلَسَ أَربَعَةٌ وعِشْرونَ شَيخًا يَلبَسونَ ثِيابًا بيضًا وعلى رُؤُوسِهم أَكاليلُ مِن ذَهَب

ومِنَ العَرشِ تَخرُجُ بُروقٌ وأَصْواتٌ ورُعود، وتَتَّقِدُ أَمامَ عَرشِه سَبعَةُ مَصابيحَ مِن نارٍ هي أَرْواحُ اللهِ السَّبعَة

وأَمامَ العَرشِ مِثلُ بَحرٍ شفَّافٍ أَشبَهَ بِالبِلَّور. وفي وَسَطِ العَرشِ وحَولَ العَرشِ أَربَعَةُ أَحْياءٍ رُصِّعَت بِالعُيونِ مِن قُدَّامٍ ومِن خَلْف

فالحَيُّ الأَوَّلُ أَشبَهُ بِالأَسَد، وَالحَيُّ الثَّاني أَشبَهُ بِالعِجْل، وَالحَيُّ الثَّالِثُ لَه وَجهٌ كوَجهِ الإِنْسان، وَالحَيُّ الرَّابِعُ أَشبَهُ بِالعُقابِ الطَّائِر

ولِكُلٍّ مِنَ الأَحْياءِ الأَربَعَةِ سِتَّةُ أَجنِحَةٍ رُصِّعَتْ بِالعُيونِ مِن حَولِها ومِن داخِلِها، وهي لا تَنفَكُّ تَقولُ نَهارًا ولَيلًا: «قُدُّوسٌ قُدُّوسٌ قُدُّوس الرَّبُّ الإِلٰهُ القَدير الَّذي كانَ هو كائِنٌ وسيَأتي»

وكُلَّما رَفَعَتِ الأَحْياءُ التَّمجيدَ والإِكْرامَ والشُّكرَ إِلى الجالِسِ على العَرشِ، إِلى الحَيِّ أَبَدَ الدُّهور

يَجْثو الأَربَعَةُ والعِشْرونَ شَيخًا أَمامَ الجالِسِ على العَرْش، ويَسجُدونَ لِلحَيِّ أَبَدَ الدُّهور، ويُلقونَ أَكاليلَهم أَمامَ العَرشِ ويَقولون

«أَنتَ أَهلٌ، أَيُّها الرَّبُّ إِلٰهُنا، لِأَن تَنالَ المَجدَ والإِكرامَ والقُدرَة، لِأَنَّكَ خَلَقتَ الأَشياءَ كُلَّها وبِمَشيئَتِكَ كانَت وخُلِقَت»