Revelation 16:5

(KJV) And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
(1611 KJV) And I heard the Angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast iudged thus:
(1587 Geneva Bible) And I heard the Angel of the waters say, Lord, thou art iust, Which art, and Which wast: and Holy, because thou hast iudged these things.
(1526 Tyndale) And I herde an angell saye: lorde which arte and wast thou arte ryghteous and holy because thou hast geve soche iudgmentes

Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous art thou, which art and which wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst thus judge:
(1901 ASV) And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous art thou, who art and who wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst thus judge:
(AMP) And I also heard the angel of the waters say, Righteous (just) are You in these Your decisions and judgments, You Who are and were, O Holy One!
(CEB) Then I heard the angel of the waters say, “You are just, holy one, who is and was, because you have given these judgments.
(CEV) Then I heard the angel, who has power over water, say, “You have always been, and you always will be the holy God. You had the right to judge in this way.

(CSB) I heard the angel of the waters say, You are just, the Holy One, who is and who was, because you have passed judgment on these things.

(ERV) Then I heard the angel of the waters say to God, “You are the one who is and who always was. You are the Holy One. You are right in these judgments you have made.
(ESV) And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.
(GNB) I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “The judgments you have made are just, O Holy One, you who are and who were!
(HCSB) I heard the angel of the waters say: You are righteous, who is and who was, the Holy One, for You have decided these things.
(LB) And I heard this angel of the waters declaring, “You are just in sending this judgment, O Holy One, who is and was,
(THE MESSAGE) I heard the Angel of Waters say, Righteous you are, and your judgments are righteous, The Is, The Was, The Holy.
(NASV) And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things;
(NCV) Then I heard the angel of the waters saying: “Holy One, you are the One who is and who was. You are right to decide to punish these evil people.
(NET) Now I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are just—the one who is and who was, the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments,
(NIRV) Then I heard the angel who was in charge of the waters. He said, “The way you judge is fair. You are the Holy One. You are the One who is and who was.
(NIV) Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were;
(NLV) I heard the angel of the waters saying, “You are right in punishing by sending this trouble. You are the Holy One Who was and is and will be.
(NLT) And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments.
(RSV) And I heard the angel of water say, “Just art thou in these thy judgments, thou who art and wast, O Holy One.
(VOICE) And I heard the messenger over the waters speak. Messenger over the Waters: You are just, O holy One who is and who was, for You have judged these things rightly.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just, O Holy One, who are and who were, in passing this sentence.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) heard the angel over the waters say: “You, the One who is and who was, the loyal One, are righteous, for you have issued these judgments,

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
και ηκουσα του αγγελου των υδατων λεγοντος δικαιος κυριε ει ο ων και ο ην και ο εσομενος οτι ταυτα εκρινας

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
και ηκουσα του αγγελου των υδατων λεγοντος δικαιος ει ο ων και ο ην ο οσιος οτι ταυτα εκρινας

Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:

Omits “Lord”
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
P 025 - Ninth century

Adds “Holy One”
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
P 025 - Ninth century

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Stephanus (1550) > Contains “Lord” and does not contain “Holy One”

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits “O Lord” after “righteous”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
Hodges and Farstad - Majority Text 1982 as corrected in 1985

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Adds “Holy One”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Lachmann, Karl - 1842

Affected Teaching
Here is a case of the modern versions omitting the title of “Lord” for the Lord Jesus Christ. The term “Holy One” can be a generic term even speaking of a believer as a holy one because of salvation in Christ. Jesus is called the Holy One of God in a few places in the New Testament. Luke 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. However, in Revelation 16:5, the word for “O Lord” in the Greek is “kurie” which is from “kurios” which means “Lord, Owner, or Master.” This is another attack on the Lord Jesus as “Lord.” The fact that an angel is speaking to Jesus in Heaven is showing the angel as showing deference to the Lord Jesus by calling Him “Lord.” The angel surely would have known that Jesus was the Holy One, since they were both in Heaven.

Back