But one of the elders said to me, "Do not cry! See! The lion who is of the tribe of Judah, of the line of David, has been victorious so that he can open the roll and break its seals."

Then they sang a new song: "You deserve to take the roll and open its seals, for you have been slaughtered, and with your blood have bought for God men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation,

I heard that the number of those that were marked with the seal was 144,000. They were from every tribe of the children of Israel:

12,000 from the tribe of Judah that were marked; 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben; 12,000 from the tribe of Gad;

12,000 from the tribe of Asher; 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali; 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh;

12,000 from the tribe of Symeon; 12,000 from the tribe of Levi; 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar;

12,000 from the tribe of Zebulon; 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph; 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin.

After that I saw a great crowd which no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

It was allowed to make war on God's people and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with eternal good news to announce to the inhabitants of the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people.