Revelation 16:6
New International Version
for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”

New Living Translation
Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.”

English Standard Version
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”

Berean Standard Bible
For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”

Berean Literal Bible
because they have poured out the blood of saints and of prophets, and You have given to them blood to drink, they are worthy."

King James Bible
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

New King James Version
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”

New American Standard Bible
for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.”

NASB 1995
for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.”

NASB 1977
for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink. They deserve it.”

Legacy Standard Bible
for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.”

Amplified Bible
for they have poured out the blood of the saints (God’s people) and the prophets, and You [in turn] have given them blood to drink. They deserve Your judgment.”

Christian Standard Bible
Because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, you have given them blood to drink; they deserve it!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, You also gave them blood to drink; they deserve it!

American Standard Version
for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy.

Contemporary English Version
They poured out the blood of your people and your prophets. So you gave them blood to drink as they deserve!"

English Revised Version
for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You have given them blood to drink because they have poured out the blood of God's people and prophets. This is what they deserve."

Good News Translation
They poured out the blood of God's people and of the prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. They are getting what they deserve!"

International Standard Version
You have given them blood to drink because they spilled the blood of saints and prophets. This is what they deserve."

Majority Standard Bible
For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.?

NET Bible
because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!"

New Heart English Bible
For they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this."

Webster's Bible Translation
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Weymouth New Testament
For they poured out the blood of Thy people and of the Prophets, and in return Thou hast given them blood to drink. And this they deserved."

World English Bible
For they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
because they poured out [the] blood of holy ones and prophets, and You gave to them blood to drink, for they are worthy”;

Berean Literal Bible
because they have poured out the blood of saints and of prophets, and You have given to them blood to drink, they are worthy."

Young's Literal Translation
because blood of saints and prophets they did pour out, and blood to them Thou didst give to drink, for they are worthy;'

Smith's Literal Translation
For they poured out the blood of the holy, and of the prophets, and thou didst give them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For they have shed the blood of the Saints and the Prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. For they deserve this.”

New American Bible
For they have shed the blood of the holy ones and the prophets, and you [have] given them blood to drink; it is what they deserve.”

New Revised Standard Version
because they shed the blood of saints and prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because they have shed the blood of the Prophets and of The Holy Ones, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
For they have shed the blood of saints and of prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, and they are worthy.

Godbey New Testament
because they shed the blood of saints and of prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; they are worthy.

Haweis New Testament
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Mace New Testament
for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets: thou hast given them blood to drink; for they have deserv'd it."

Weymouth New Testament
For they poured out the blood of Thy people and of the Prophets, and in return Thou hast given them blood to drink. And this they deserved."

Worrell New Testament
because they poured out the blood of saints and of prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink: they are worthy!"

Worsley New Testament
and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The First Six Bowls of Wrath
5And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You have brought these judgments. 6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.” 7And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”…

Cross References
Exodus 7:17-21
This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood. / The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’” / And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.” ...

Exodus 7:14-25
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. / Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. / Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. ...

Exodus 8:22-23
But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. / I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”

Exodus 9:14-16
Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. / For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth. / But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 9:22-26
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.” / So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. / The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. ...

Exodus 10:21-23
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.” / So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. / No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.

Exodus 12:12-13
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. / The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a sign; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Psalm 79:3
They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead.

Psalm 79:10
Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.

Isaiah 49:26
I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Jeremiah 2:34
Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things

Jeremiah 19:4
because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

Ezekiel 16:36
This is what the Lord GOD says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them,

Ezekiel 23:45
But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands.

Matthew 23:35
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.


Treasury of Scripture

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

they have.

Revelation 6:10,11
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? …

Revelation 13:10,15
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints…

Revelation 17:6,7
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration…

for they are.

Revelation 11:18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Revelation 18:20
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Jeremiah 26:11,16
Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears…

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Blood Deserve Deserved Drink Due Pour Poured Prophets Reward Right Saints Shed Stream Worthy
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Blood Deserve Deserved Drink Due Pour Poured Prophets Reward Right Saints Shed Stream Worthy
Revelation 16
1. The angels pour out their bowls of wrath.
6. The plagues that follow.
16. Armageddon.














For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets
This phrase highlights the grave sin of those who have persecuted God's people. The Greek word for "spilled" (ἐξέχεαν, exéchean) implies a deliberate and violent act, emphasizing the severity of the persecution faced by the saints and prophets. Historically, this persecution can be seen throughout the Bible, from the Old Testament prophets to the New Testament apostles. The "saints" refer to all believers who have been set apart for God's purpose, while "prophets" specifically denotes those who have been called to speak God's truth. This phrase serves as a reminder of the cost of discipleship and the reality of suffering for righteousness' sake.

and You have given them blood to drink
This part of the verse reflects divine retribution, a theme consistent throughout Scripture where God enacts justice upon those who oppose Him. The imagery of "blood to drink" is both symbolic and literal, drawing from the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7:17-21) where water turned to blood as a judgment. The Greek word for "given" (ἔδωκας, edōkas) indicates a deliberate act of God, underscoring His sovereign control over justice. This phrase serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the certainty of God's righteous judgment.

as they deserve
The phrase "as they deserve" underscores the justice of God's actions. The Greek word for "deserve" (ἄξιοι, axioi) conveys the idea of being worthy or deserving of a particular outcome. This reflects the biblical principle of reaping what one sows (Galatians 6:7). In a historical and scriptural context, this serves as a warning to those who oppose God's will and a reassurance to believers that God will ultimately vindicate His people. It highlights the perfect justice of God, who gives each person according to their deeds, affirming His holiness and righteousness.

(6) For they have shed . . .--Better, Because they shed (not, "have shed," but did shed, or pour out), and blood didst Thou give them; they are worthy. "For" is to be omitted; the sentence has a startling force without it. They--i.e., those enemies of all righteousness--are worthy; they receive the due reward of their deeds.

Verse 6. - For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. This supplies the key to the interpretation of the previous visions. The ungodly have shed the blood of saints, therefore God deals out death to them. This is the meaning signified by the "blood" of the previous verses (cf. the doom of Babylon, described in Revelation 17, especially ver. 6; and Revelation 18:6, 24. Cf. the words, "they are worthy," with Revelation 3:4). It is correct to consider that this prophecy received its first fulfilment in the violent deaths of so many of those who were the earliest Christian persecutors. On this subject see Lactantius, 'De Morte Persecutorum.'

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

they have spilled
ἐξέχεαν (exechean)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1632: Or ekchuno ek-khoo'-no from ek and cheo; to pour forth; figuratively, to bestow.

[the] blood
αἷμα (haima)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 129: Blood, literally, figuratively or specially; by implication, bloodshed, also kindred.

of saints
ἁγίων (hagiōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

prophets,
προφητῶν (prophētōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 4396: From a compound of pro and phemi; a foreteller; by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

You have given
δέδωκας (dedōkas)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

them
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

blood
αἷμα (haima)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 129: Blood, literally, figuratively or specially; by implication, bloodshed, also kindred.

to drink
πιεῖν (piein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 4095: To drink, imbibe. A prolonged form of pio, which poo occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses; to imbibe.

as they
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

deserve.”
ἄξιοί (axioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 514: Worthy, worthy of, deserving, comparable, suitable. Probably from ago; deserving, comparable or suitable.


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NT Prophecy: Revelation 16:6 For they poured out the blood (Rev. Re Apocalypse)
Revelation 16:5
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