Men have shed the blood of saints and prophets: in Greek there is no subject of the active verbhave shed (Good News Translation “poured out”); something like “people” or “evil people” is better than men. “They” of Good News Translation has no clear antecedent and should not be imitated. In Greek the verb translated shed by Revised Standard Version is the same verb, “poured out,” used of the angels emptying their bowls. But if “to pour out (or, shed) blood” is not a normal way of speaking of killing, it will be necessary to say “people killed” or “people slaughtered.” So this clause may also be rendered as “Evil people have killed God’s people and his prophets.” However, since blood to drink is the due punishment for shed the blood, it will be good to retain somehow the figure of blood in this first line, if possible.

For saints see 5.8; for prophets see 10.7. The two are paired also in 11.18; 18.24.

Thou hast given them blood to drink: this is a vivid way of describing the punishment that God sends on them; instead of water to drink from the rivers and springs of water, they will have only blood to drink. In cultures where drinking blood is considered on certain occasions to be something good, translators should include a footnote explaining that in those days drinking blood had an evil meaning.

It is their due!: this translates the adjective “(they are) worthy,” a way of saying “they deserve it” (see “worthy” in 3.4; 4.11). New Jerusalem Bible and New Revised Standard Version have “It is what they deserve.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .