Nyaɖeɖefia 7
1 Le esia megbe la, mekpɔ mawudɔla ene wole tsitre ɖe anyigba ƒe dzogoe eneawo dzi, eye wona be ya eneawo magaƒo ato anyigba, atsiaƒu alo ati aɖeke dzi o.
After this I saw four angels. One was standing at the north, one at the east, one at the south, and one at the west. They were restraining the winds that blew from all directions [MTY] to keep them from blowing [destructively] on the earth or on the ocean or even on any tree.
2 Tete mekpɔ mawudɔla bubu tso ɣedzeƒe gbɔna, eye wòlé Mawu gbagbe la ƒe nutrenu ɖe asi. Eyɔ mawudɔla ene, ame siwo wona ŋusẽe be woawɔ nu vevi anyigba kple atsiaƒu la kple gbe sesẽ be,
I saw another angel come up from the east. He was carrying God’s seal. [With this] seal God, who is all-powerful, marks [his own people to protect them]. The angel called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom [he] had given [power] to harm the earth and the ocean. He said
3 “Mègawɔ nu vevi aɖeke anyigba, atsiaƒu loo alo atiwo o, va se ɖe esime míatsɔ nutrenu aɖo ŋgonu na míaƒe Mawu la ƒe dɔlawo.”
[to them], “Do not harm the earth or the ocean or the trees until we [(exc)] have marked the servants of our [(inc)] God on their foreheads.”
4 Emegbe la, mekpɔ ame siwo wotsɔ nutrenu ɖo ŋgonu na la ƒe xexlẽme. Wole ame akpe alafa ɖeka blaene-vɔ-ene eye wo katã wotso Israel ƒe toawo me.
[Then the angel and his fellow angels marked all God’s servants]. I heard the number of people who were marked {whom [the angels] marked} [because of their being God’s servants. The number was] 144,000. They were from all the tribes of Israel. [They symbolized the complete number of people whom God would protect].
5 Wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Yuda ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Ruben ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Gad ƒe to la me,
[The angels] marked 12,000 people from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
6 wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Aser ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Naftali ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Manase ƒe to la me,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
7 wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Simeon ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Levi ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Isaka ƒe to la me,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12.000 from the tribe of Issachar,
8 wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Zebulon ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Yosef ƒe to la me, wode dzesi ame akpe wuieve tso Benyamin ƒe to la me.
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin.
9 Le esia megbe la, mekpɔ ameha gã aɖe si womate ŋu axlẽ o la le nye ŋkume. Wotso dukɔ sia dukɔ, to sia to, ƒome ɖe sia ɖe kple gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe me. Wole tsitre ɖe fiazikpui la ŋgɔ le Alẽvi la ŋkume. Wodo awu ʋlaya ɣiwo, eye wolé deʋayawo ɖe asi.
After these things I saw a huge crowd. There were so [many people] that no one would be able to count them. [They were] from every nation, every tribe, every people-group, and every language [MTY]. They were standing before the throne and before [Jesus, the one who is like a] lamb. They were wearing white robes and held palm branches [to wave them in order to celebrate].
10 Wole ɣli dom kple gbe sesẽ be, “Xɔname nye míaƒe Mawu la tɔ, ame si nɔ anyi ɖe fiazikpui la dzi, kple Alẽvi la tɔ.”
They shouted loudly, “[O] our [(exc)] God, you who sit on the throne, and [Jesus, you who are like a] lamb, [you two] have delivered [us(exc) from Satan’s power]!”
11 Mawudɔlawo katã nɔ tsitre ƒo xlã fiazikpui la, amegãxoxoawo kple nu gbagbe eneawo. Wotsyɔ mo anyi ɖe fiazikpui la ŋgɔ, eye wosubɔ Mawu,
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living [creatures]. They all bowed down before the throne with their faces [to the ground] and worshipped God.
12 le gbɔgblɔm be, “Amen! Kafukafu kple ŋutikɔkɔe kple nunya kple akpedada kple bubu kple ŋusẽ kple ŋutete nanye míaƒe Mawu la tɔ tso mavɔ me yi mavɔ me. Amen!” (aiōn g165)
They said, “May it be so! [We(exc)] praise, thank, and honor [you], our [(exc)] God, forever! [We(exc) acknowledge] that you are completely wise, the powerful one, who is forever able to accomplish everything he wants to. (May everyone acknowlege that it is so!/Amen!)” (aiōn g165)
13 Tete amegãxoxoawo dometɔ ɖeka biam be, “Ame kawoe nye ame siawo le awu ʋlaya ɣiwo me, eye afi ka wotso?”
Then one of the elders asked me, “These [people] who are wearing white robes, [do you know] who they are, and where they come from?”
14 Meɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Aƒetɔ, wòe nyae.” Eye wògblɔ nam be, “Woawoe nye ame siwo do go tso xaxa gã la me. Wonya woƒe awu ʋlayawo, eye wowɔ wo ɣie to Alẽvi la ƒe ʋu me.
I answered him, “Sir, [I do not know. Surely] you know [who they are]!” He said to me, “These are the people (whom [others] have caused to suffer greatly/who [have been persecuted]). [Because they believed that Jesus, the one who is like a sacrificial] lamb, [atoned for our sin when] his blood [flowed from his body when he died, it is as though] [MET] they have washed their robes and have made them [clean and] white.
15 Eya ta, “wole Mawu ƒe fiazikpui la ŋgɔ ɖo, eye wosubɔnɛ le eƒe gbedoxɔ me zã kple keli, eye ame si nɔ fiazikpui la dzi la akeke eƒe agbadɔ ɖe wo dzi.
Because of this, they are in front of God’s throne, and they serve him day and night in his [heavenly temple. God], the one who sits on the throne, will shelter/protect them [MTY].
16 ‘Dɔ magawu wo akpɔ gbeɖe o. Tsikɔ hã magawu wo akpɔ gbeɖe o. Ɣe magaɖu wo o.’ Alo ŋdɔkutsu nagaɖu wo o,
[As a result], they will never again be hungry. They will never again be thirsty. The sun will never again (beat on/burn) them, nor will any heat [scorch them].
17 elabena Alẽvi si le fiazikpui la titina la anye woƒe kplɔla. ‘Akplɔ wo ayi agbetsi dzidziwo gbɔe,’ ‘eye Mawu ŋutɔ atutu aɖatsi ɖe sia ɖe le woƒe ŋkume.’”
This is because the [one who is like a] lamb who is at the throne will [take care of them, just like] a shepherd [takes care of his sheep] [MET]. He will guide them [to the source of eternal life, just like a shepherd leads his sheep] to springs of water, [which enable the sheep] to live [MET]. God will [cause them to no longer be sad. It will be as if he were] wiping away all tears from their eyes [MTY].”
