And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13 And 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, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

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. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, (C)“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open [a]and read the scroll, or to look at it. But 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.”

And 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. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand (L)of Him who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb

Now 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. And (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,
10 And have made [d]us (S)kings[e] and (T)priests to our God;
And [f]we shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then 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, 12 saying 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!”

13 And (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!”

14 Then 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

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.” And 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

When He opened the second seal, (AD)I heard the second living creature saying, “Come [k]and see.” (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

When 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. And 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

When He opened the fourth seal, (AK)I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” (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

When 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. 10 And 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?” 11 Then 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

12 I 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. 15 And 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! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, (BG)and who is able to stand?”

The Sealed of Israel

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, (BH)holding the four winds of the earth, (BI)that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, (BJ)“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God (BK)on their foreheads.” (BL)And I heard the number of those who were sealed. (BM)One hundred and forty-four thousand (BN)of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were [t]sealed;
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

After these things I looked, and behold, (BO)a great multitude which no one could number, (BP)of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, (BQ)clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, (BR)“Salvation belongs to our God (BS)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 (BT)All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and (BU)worshiped God, 12 (BV)saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in (BW)white robes, and where did they come from?”

14 And I said to him, [u]“Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, (BX)“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and (BY)washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will (BZ)dwell among them. 16 (CA)They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; (CB)the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne (CC)will shepherd them and lead them to [v]living fountains of waters. (CD)And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

When(CE) He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (CF)And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, (CG)and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with (CH)the prayers of all the saints upon (CI)the golden altar which was before the throne. And (CJ)the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And (CK)there were noises, thunderings, (CL)lightnings, (CM)and an earthquake.

So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck

The first angel sounded: (CN)And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown (CO)to the [w]earth. And a third (CP)of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck

Then the second angel sounded: (CQ)And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, (CR)and a third of the sea (CS)became blood. (CT)And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck

10 Then the third angel sounded: (CU)And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, (CV)and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 (CW)The name of the star is Wormwood. (CX)A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck

12 (CY)Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day [x]did not shine, and likewise the night.

13 And I looked, (CZ)and I heard an [y]angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, (DA)“Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit

Then the fifth angel sounded: (DB)And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to (DC)the [z]bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the (DD)sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, (DE)as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded (DF)not to harm (DG)the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have (DH)the seal of God on their foreheads. And [aa]they were not given authority to kill them, (DI)but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days (DJ)men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

(DK)The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. (DL)On their heads were crowns of something like gold, (DM)and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and (DN)their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was (DO)like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them (DP)the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is [ab]Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name [ac]Apollyon.

12 (DQ)One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the (DR)golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound (DS)at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a (DT)third of mankind. 16 Now (DU)the number of the army (DV)of the horsemen was two hundred million; (DW)I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; (DX)and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For [ad]their power is in their mouth and in their tails; (DY)for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, (DZ)did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship (EA)demons, (EB)and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders (EC)or their [ae]sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 5:4 NU, M omit and read
  2. Revelation 5:5 NU, M omit to loose
  3. Revelation 5:6 NU, M I saw in the midst . . . a Lamb standing
  4. Revelation 5:10 NU, M them
  5. Revelation 5:10 NU a kingdom
  6. Revelation 5:10 NU, M they
  7. Revelation 5:13 M adds Amen
  8. Revelation 5:14 NU, M omit twenty-four
  9. Revelation 5:14 NU, M omit Him who lives forever and ever
  10. Revelation 6:1 NU, M seven seals
  11. Revelation 6:3 NU, M omit and see
  12. Revelation 6:5 balances
  13. Revelation 6:6 Gr. choinix, about 1 quart
  14. Revelation 6:6 About 1 day’s wage for a worker
  15. Revelation 6:8 authority
  16. Revelation 6:12 NU, M omit behold
  17. Revelation 6:12 NU, M whole moon
  18. Revelation 6:14 Or split apart
  19. Revelation 6:15 NU, M the commanders, the rich men,
  20. Revelation 7:5 NU, M omit sealed in vv. 5b–8b.
  21. Revelation 7:14 NU, M My lord
  22. Revelation 7:17 NU, M fountains of the waters of life
  23. Revelation 8:7 NU, M add and a third of the earth was burned up
  24. Revelation 8:12 had no light
  25. Revelation 8:13 NU, M eagle
  26. Revelation 9:1 Lit. shaft of the abyss
  27. Revelation 9:5 The locusts
  28. Revelation 9:11 Lit. Destruction
  29. Revelation 9:11 Lit. Destroyer
  30. Revelation 9:19 NU, M the power of the horses
  31. Revelation 9:21 NU, M drugs