The Angel and the Little Scroll
1 I saw another powerful angel come down from heaven. This one was covered with a cloud, and a rainbow was over his head. His face was like the sun, his legs were like columns of fire, 2 and with his hand he held a little scroll that had been unrolled. He stood there with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3 Then he shouted with a voice that sounded like a growling lion. Thunder roared seven times.
4 After the thunder stopped, I was about to write what it had said. But a voice from heaven shouted, “Keep it secret! Don't write these things.”
5 The angel I had seen standing on the sea and the land then held his right hand up toward heaven. 6 He made a promise in the name of God who lives forever and who created heaven, earth, the sea, and every living creature. The angel said, “You won't have to wait any longer. 7 God told his secret plans to his servants the prophets, and it will all happen by the time the seventh angel sounds his trumpet.”
8 Once again the voice from heaven spoke to me. It said, “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel standing on the sea and the land.”
9 When I went over to ask the angel for the little scroll, the angel said, “Take the scroll and eat it! Your stomach will turn sour, but the taste in your mouth will be sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. The taste was sweet as honey, but my stomach turned sour.
11 Then some voices said, “Keep on telling what will happen to the people of many nations, races, and languages, and also to kings.”
الملاك والكتاب الصغير
1 ورَأيتُ ملاكًا آخَرَ جَبّارًا يَنزِلُ مِنَ السّماءِ لابِسًا سحابةً، وعلى رأْسِهِ قَوسُ قُزَحٍ، ووَجهُهُ كالشّمسِ وساقاهُ كعَمودَينِ مِنْ نارٍ، 2 بِـيَدِهِ كِتابٌ صغيرٌ مَفتوحٌ. فوَضَعَ رِجلَهُ اليُمنى على البحرِ واليُسرى على البرّ. 3 وصَرَخَ بِصَوتٍ عَظيمٍ كأنّهُ زَئيرُ الأُسودِ، فنَطَقَتِ الرّعودُ السّبعةُ بأصواتِها. 4 فلمّا نَطَقَتْ تأهّبتُ لِلكتابَةِ فسَمِعتُ صَوتًا مِنَ السّماءِ يَقولُ لي: «اَكتُمْ ما نَطَقَتْ بِه الرّعودُ السّبعةُ فلا تكْتُبْهُ!»
5 وأمّا الملاكُ الذي رَأيتُهُ واقِفًا على البحرِ والبَرّ فرَفَعَ يَدَهُ اليُمنى نَحوَ السّماءِ 6 وأقسَمَ بِالحَيّ إلى أبَدِ الدّهورِ، خالِقِ السّماءِ وما فيها والبَرّ والبحرِ وما فيهِما، أنْ لا يكونَ إبطاءٌ بَعدُ. 7 فما إنْ يَحينَ الوَقتُ ويَنفُخَ الملاكُ السّابــــعُ في بُوقِهِ حتى يَتِمّ سِرّ اللهِ، كما بَشّرَ بِه عَبـيدَهُ الأنبِـياءَ.
8 وأمّا الصّوتُ الذي سَمِعتُهُ خارِجًا مِنَ السّماءِ، فَخاطَبَني ثانِـيَةً قالَ: «إِذهَبْ، خُذِ الكِتابَ المَفتوحَ بِـيَدِ الملاكِ الواقِفِ على البحرِ والبَرّ». 9 فذَهَبْتُ إلى الملاكِ وقُلتُ لَه: «أعطِني الكِتابَ الصّغيرَ»، فقالَ لي: «خُذْهُ واَبتَلِعْهُ فتَجِدَهُ مُرّا في جَوفِكَ، وحُلوًا كالعَسَلِ في فمِكَ». 10 فأخَذْتُ الكِتابَ الصّغيرَ واَبتَلَعتُهُ، فكانَ حُلوًا كالعَسلِ في فمي، وبَعدَما اَبتَلَعتُهُ صارَ مُرّا في جَوفي.
11 فَقيلَ لي: «يَجِبُ أنْ تتَنَبّأَ ثانِـيَةً على كثيرٍ مِنَ الشّعوبِ والأُمَمِ والألسِنَةِ والمُلوكِ».
