The first New Testament printed in English

by Unknown

And after that I saw iiij angels stand on the iiij. corners of the earth, holding the iiij. winds of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, neither on the sea, neither on any tree. And I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, which had the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the iiij. angels (to whom power was given to hurt the earth and the sea) saying: Hurt not the earth neither the sea, neither the trees, till I {we} have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed an C. and xliiij.M. of all the tribes of the children of Israhell. Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed xij.M. Of the tribe of Ruben were sealed xij.M. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed xij M. Of the tribe of Asser were sealed xij.M. Of the tribe of Neptalym were sealed xij.M. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed xij.M. Of the tribe of Symeon were sealed xij M. Of the tribe of Levy were sealed xij. M. Of the tribe of Isacar were sealed xij M. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed xij M. Of the tribe of Ioseph were sealed xij M. Of the tribe of Beniamyn were sealed xij M.

After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude (which noman could number) of all nations, and people, and tongues, stood before the seat, and before the lamb, clothed with long white garments, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying: Health be to him that sitteth upon the seat of our God, and unto the lamb. And all the angels stood in the compass of the seat, and of the seniors, and of the iiij. beasts, and fell before the seat on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, amen: Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanks, and honour, and power and might, be unto our God, for evermore amen.

And one of the seniors answered, saying unto me: what are these which are arrayed in long white garments, and whence came they? And I said unto him: lord thou wottest. And he said unto me: these are they which came out of great tribulation and made their garments large, and made them white in the blood of the lamb: therefore are they in the presence of the seat of God and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth in the seat will dwell among them. They shall hunger no more neither thirst, neither shall the sun light on them, neither any heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of the seat, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto fountains of living water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The .viij. Chapter.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw angels standing before God, and to them were given vij. trumpets. And another angel came and stood before the altar having a golden censer, and much of odoures was given unto him, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the seat. And the smoke of the odoures which came of the prayers of all saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth, and voices were made, and thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquake.

And the vij. angels which had the vij trumpets prepared themselves to blow. The first angel blew, and there was made hail and fire, which were mingled with blood, and they were cast into the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt, and all green grass was brent. And the second angel blew: and as it were a great mountain: burning with fire was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea turned to blood, and the third part of the creatures which had life died, and the third part of ships were destroyed.

And the third Angel blew, and there fell a great star from heaven burning as it were a lamp, and it fell into the third part of the rivers, and into fountains of waters, and the name of the star is called wormwood. And the third part was turned to wormwood. A many men died of the waters because they were made bitter. And the fourth Angel blew, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of stars: so that the third part of them was darkened. And the day was smitten that the third part of it should not shine, and likewise the night. And I beheld and heard an angel flying thorow the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice: Woe, Woe, to the inhabiters of the earth because of the voices to come of the trompe of the iij. Angels which were yet to blow.

The .ix. Chapter.

And the fifth Angel blew, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth. And to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened by the reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: And unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth: neither any green thing: neither any tree: but only those men which have not the seal in their foreheads, and to them was commanded that they should not kill them, but that they should be vexed v months, and their pain was as the pain that cometh of a scorpion, when he hath stung a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it, and shall desire to die, and death shall fly from them.