Parenthesis

John eats a little book

1(I saw a mighty angel descending out of heaven, ¹⁴¹clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow ¹⁴²on his head; his face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire; ¹⁴³

2and he had a little book open in his hand. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land,

3and he cried out with a loud voice, just like a lion roars. And when he cried out, the seven thunders uttered their own voices. ¹⁴⁴

4Now when the seven thunders spoke I was about to write, but I heard a voice out of heaven saying, “Seal up the things that the seven thunders said,” and “You write after these things.” ¹⁴⁵

5And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to the heaven

6and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created the heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there would be no further delay,

7but in the days ¹⁴⁶of the blast of the seventh angel, whenever he should trumpet, the mystery of God which was announced to His slaves the prophets would be finished.

8Now the voice that I heard out of heaven was speaking to me again and saying: “Go, take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

9So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book,” and he says to me: “Take and eat it up; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”

10So I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.

11And he said to me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, even over ethnic nations and languages and kings.” ¹⁴⁷