Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Rev C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22
Rev 14 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20
OET (OET-LV) And I_heard of_a_voice out_of the heaven saying:
Write:
Blessed are the dead which in the_master dying_off from now.
Yes, Is_saying the spirit:
in_order_that they_will_be_being_rested from the labours of_them, the for works of_them is_following with them.
OET (OET-RV) Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the those who die trusting in the master from now on.’ ”
¶ “Yes,” says the spirit, “so they will rest from their work, because the record of their activities will follow with them.”
In this section, John heard three messages from three angels and one message from someone in heaven. The first angel told everyone to honor God. The second angel announced that God would destroy Babylon. The third angel announced that God would punish those who followed the beast. The fourth speaker encouraged believers who would die before Jesus returned.
Other examples for this section heading are:
Four announcements were spoken
Angels spoke four messages
And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write,
¶ Then I heard speech from heaven saying,
¶ Then I heard someone in heaven say,
a voice from heaven: This phrase refers to either God, Jesus, or someone whom God told to speak. Translate this phrase so that it can refer to anyone in heaven. For example:
speech from heaven
someone say from heaven on God’s behalf
telling me to write: In the Greek, the word write is a command to John to write what the person in heaven told him. For example:
“Write this:…” (NIV11)
In order to avoid direct speech within direct speech, the BSB includes the command to write as part of the description of the angel. If your language does not have a way to express direct speech in this way, consider following the example of the BSB.
“Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.”
“Write:(sing) Those who die in the Lord from now on are favored.”
“Write this: ‘The people who die believing in the Lord Jesus from now on are in a good place in God’s eyes.’ ”
Blessed: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Blessed describes a person to whom God has shown favor/kindness. See how you translated this word in 1:3.
the dead—those who die in the Lord: This phrase refers to those who die as faithful believers in the Lord Jesus. They do not stop believing when the beast persecutes them. For example:
those who…die in the service of the Lord (GNT)
Lord: The word Lord refers to Jesus here. The Greek word that the BSB translates as Lord means “the one who has authority over (others),” or “owner.”
In some languages it is more natural to include “Jesus” in this phrase. For example:
Lord Jesus
from this moment on: This phrase probably refers to when the second beast began to require everyone to take the mark (13:11–18). The beast ordered people to kill all the believers they found (13:15c).
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors,
The Spirit says/said, “Yes, they will rest from their hard work,
The Holy Spirit says/said, “Indeed, they will rest from their hard work serving their Lord,
“Yes,” says the Spirit: The BSB has placed the phrase says the Spirit in the middle of the spoken words. Place it where it would be most natural in your language. For example:
The Spirit says, “Yes,…” (NCV)
Yes: Here the word Yes confirms what the person in heaven said (14:13b).
says the Spirit: The BSB puts the verb says before the Spirit, who was doing the speaking. This is a poetic style in English. Place the verb says where it would be most natural in your language.
the Spirit: Here this phrase refers to the Holy Spirit. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer to someone else. If that is true in your language, you may want to make the meaning clear:
the Holy Spirit
the Spirit of God
they will rest from their labors: This clause explains how believers will be blessed. They will be blessed because they will rest.
labors: This word refers here to working hard to serve God. The believers suffered difficulties and persecution as they served God. They will not need to work hard and suffer in heaven. After believers die, they will rest and enjoy being with Jesus. For example:
hard work (GNT)
for their deeds will follow them.”
because their deeds on earth will be their proof in heaven.”
because they will receive a reward for their godly deeds.”
for: There is a textual issue in 14:13d: (1) Some early Greek manuscripts have the word for (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NJB, NASB, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, NABRE, REB, ESV, NCV). (2) Some later Greek manuscripts have the word and (KJV only). It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the UBS Greek NT supports it. This conjunction introduces the reason why the believers will be blessed and enjoy rest. For example:
because (GNT)
their deeds will follow them: This clause indicates that the good things that these people did while on earth will not be forgotten. The record or memory of these deeds will go with them into eternity. They will receive a reward for these good deeds. Other ways to translate this clause are:
their good deeds go with them (NJB)
the reward of all they have done stays with them (NCV)
they will be rewarded for what they have done (CEV)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
φωνῆς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λεγούσης
˱of˲_˓a˒_voice out_of ¬the heaven saying
John is referring to someone speaking by association with the voice that the person is using to speak. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation, as in UST: [I heard someone speaking from heaven and saying]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes
λεγούσης, γράψον, μακάριοι οἱ νεκροὶ οἱ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἀπ’ ἄρτι
saying (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἤκουσα φωνῆς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λεγούσης Γράψον Μακάριοι οἱ νεκροί οἱ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἀπʼ ἄρτι Ναί Λέγει τό Πνεῦμα Ἵνα ἀναπαήσονται ἐκ τῶν κόπων αὐτῶν τά γάρ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετʼ αὐτῶν)
If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so there is no quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [that told me to write, "Blessed are the dead dying in the Lord from now on”]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
οἱ νεκροὶ & ἀποθνῄσκοντες
the ¬which (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἤκουσα φωνῆς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λεγούσης Γράψον Μακάριοι οἱ νεκροί οἱ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἀπʼ ἄρτι Ναί Λέγει τό Πνεῦμα Ἵνα ἀναπαήσονται ἐκ τῶν κόπων αὐτῶν τά γάρ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετʼ αὐτῶν)
The person speaking is using the adjective dead as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [people who die if they die]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
οἱ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἀπ’ ἄρτι
the ¬which in ˓the˒_Lord dying_off from now
The expression dying in the Lord means to die while still maintaining faith in Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [who die from now on while still maintaining their faith in Jesus]
Note 5 topic: writing-politeness
ἐν Κυρίῳ
in ˓the˒_Lord
The person speaking is referring to Jesus by a respectful title. Use a form for addressing someone respectfully in your language. Alternate translation: [in the Lord Jesus]
Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
ἵνα
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἤκουσα φωνῆς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λεγούσης Γράψον Μακάριοι οἱ νεκροί οἱ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἀπʼ ἄρτι Ναί Λέγει τό Πνεῦμα Ἵνα ἀναπαήσονται ἐκ τῶν κόπων αὐτῶν τά γάρ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετʼ αὐτῶν)
The word translated so introduces a result of the action that the previous sentence describes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer back to that action. Alternate translation: [because they are blessed as a result of dying in the Lord,]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
τὰ & ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετ’ αὐτῶν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἤκουσα φωνῆς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λεγούσης Γράψον Μακάριοι οἱ νεκροί οἱ ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἀπʼ ἄρτι Ναί Λέγει τό Πνεῦμα Ἵνα ἀναπαήσονται ἐκ τῶν κόπων αὐτῶν τά γάρ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετʼ αὐτῶν)
John is speaking of the deeds of these people who have died in the Lord as if those deeds could follow the people as they come into the presence of God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [God will acknowledge as they come into his presence that they have served him diligently]
14:13 A dramatic voice from heaven once again instructs John to write (see 1:11, 19; 21:5; cp. 10:4).
• Blessed are those who die in the Lord: God desires that those who endure persecution be with him and enjoy his blessings and rest.
• The mention of hard work and good deeds in connection with eternal reward foreshadows the assigning of rewards based on works (20:12).
OET (OET-LV) And I_heard of_a_voice out_of the heaven saying:
Write:
Blessed are the dead which in the_master dying_off from now.
Yes, Is_saying the spirit:
in_order_that they_will_be_being_rested from the labours of_them, the for works of_them is_following with them.
OET (OET-RV) Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the those who die trusting in the master from now on.’ ”
¶ “Yes,” says the spirit, “so they will rest from their work, because the record of their activities will follow with them.”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
Open Bible Data site copyright © 2023–2026 Freely-Given.org.
Python source code for creating these static pages is available on GitHub under an open licence.
For Bible data copyrights, see the details for each displayed Bible version.
The Open English Translation (OET) main site is at OpenEnglishTranslation.Bible or OET.Bible.