Revelation 5-6

New King James Version

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne ^(A)a scroll written inside and on the back, ^(B)sealed with seven seals. ²Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ^(C)“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

⁴So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open ^[a]and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, ^(D)the Lion of the tribe of ^(E)Judah, ^(F)the Root of David, has ^(G)prevailed to open the scroll ^(H)and ^[b]to loose its seven seals.”

⁶And I looked, ^[c]and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood ^(I)a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and ^(J)seven eyes, which are ^(K)the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand ^(L)of Him who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb

⁸Now when He had taken the scroll, ^(M)the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the ^(N)prayers of the saints. ⁹And ^(O)they sang a new song, saying:

^(P)“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And ^(Q)have redeemed us to God ^(R)by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
¹⁰And have made ^[d]us ^(S)kings^[e] and ^(T)priests to our God;
And ^[f]we shall reign on the earth.”

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹²saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³And ^(U)every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

^(V)“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him ^(W)who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ^[g]ever!”

¹⁴Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the ^[h]twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped ^[i]Him who lives forever and ever.

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 Now ^(X)I saw when the Lamb opened one of the ^[j]seals; and I heard ^(Y)one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” ²And I looked, and behold, ^(Z)a white horse. ^(AA)He who sat on it had a bow; ^(AB)and a crown was given to him, and he went out ^(AC)conquering and to conquer.

Second Seal: Conflict on Earth

³When He opened the second seal, ^(AD)I heard the second living creature saying, “Come ^[k]and see.” ⁴^(AE)Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to ^(AF)take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth

⁵When He opened the third seal, ^(AG)I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, ^(AH)a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of ^(AI)scales^[l] in his hand. ⁶And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A ^[m]quart of wheat for a ^[n]denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and ^(AJ)do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth

⁷When He opened the fourth seal, ^(AK)I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” ⁸^(AL)So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And ^[o]power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, ^(AM)to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, ^(AN)and by the beasts of the earth.

Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs

⁹When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under ^(AO)the altar ^(AP)the souls of those who had been slain ^(AQ)for the word of God and for ^(AR)the testimony which they held. ¹⁰And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ^(AS)“How long, O Lord, ^(AT)holy and true, ^(AU)until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ¹¹Then a ^(AV)white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them ^(AW)that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances

¹²I looked when He opened the sixth seal, ^(AX)and ^[p]behold, there was a great earthquake; and ^(AY)the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the ^[q]moon became like blood. ¹³^(AZ)And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. ¹⁴^(BA)Then the sky ^[r]receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and ^(BB)every mountain and island was moved out of its place. ¹⁵And the ^(BC)kings of the earth, the great men, ^[s]the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, ^(BD)hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶^(BE)and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who ^(BF)sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷For the great day of His wrath has come, ^(BG)and who is able to stand?”