The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamb^(A) opened the first of the seven seals.^(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures^(C) say in a voice like thunder,^(D) “Come!” ² I looked, and there before me was a white horse!^(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,^(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.^(G)

³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature^(H) say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.^(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,^(M) saying, “Two pounds^[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,^[b] and six pounds^[c] of barley for a day’s wages,^[d](N) and do not damage^(O) the oil and the wine!”

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature^(P) say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!^(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades^(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.^(S)

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under^(T) the altar^(U) the souls of those who had been slain^(V) because of the word of God^(W) and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long,^(X) Sovereign Lord,^(Y) holy and true,^(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth^(AA) and avenge our blood?”^{(AB) 11} Then each of them was given a white robe,^(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[e] were killed just as they had been.^(AD)

¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.^(AE) The sun turned black^(AF) like sackcloth^(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth,^(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree^(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,^(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.^(AK)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,^(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(AM) 16} They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us^(AN) and hide us^[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne^(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day^(AP) of their^[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”^(AQ)

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

8 When he opened the seventh seal,^(A) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

² And I saw the seven angels^(B) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.^(C)

³ Another angel,^(D) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,^(E) on the golden altar^(F) in front of the throne. ⁴ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God^(G) from the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,^(H) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,^(I) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.^(J)

The Trumpets

⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets^(K) prepared to sound them.

⁷ The first angel^(L) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire^(M) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third^(N) of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.^(O)

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,^(P) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third^(Q) of the sea turned into blood,^{(R) 9} a third^(S) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky^(T) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water^(U)— ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood.^[a] A third^(V) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.^(W)

¹² The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third^(X) of them turned dark.^(Y) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.^(Z)

¹³ As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair^(AA) call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe^(AB) to the inhabitants of the earth,^(AC) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,^(A) and there were loud voices^(B) in heaven, which said:

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders,^(E) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces^(F) and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying:

¹⁹ Then God’s temple^(O) in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.^(P) And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,^(Q) an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.^(R)

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple^(A) saying to the seven angels,^(B) “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”^(C)

² The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land,^(D) and ugly, festering sores^(E) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.^(F)

³ The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.^(G)

⁴ The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water,^(H) and they became blood.^{(I) 5} Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

⁷ And I heard the altar^(O) respond:

⁸ The fourth angel^(R) poured out his bowl on the sun,^(S) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.^{(T) 9} They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,^(U) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent^(V) and glorify him.^(W)

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^(X) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^(Y) People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹ and cursed^(Z) the God of heaven^(AA) because of their pains and their sores,^(AB) but they refused to repent of what they had done.^(AC)

¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^(AD) and its water was dried up to prepare the way^(AE) for the kings from the East.^{(AF) 13} Then I saw three impure spirits^(AG) that looked like frogs;^(AH) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,^(AI) out of the mouth of the beast^(AJ) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.^{(AK) 14} They are demonic spirits^(AL) that perform signs,^(AM) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^(AN) to gather them for the battle^(AO) on the great day^(AP) of God Almighty.

¹⁶ Then they gathered the kings together^(AT) to the place that in Hebrew^(AU) is called Armageddon.^(AV)

¹⁷ The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,^(AW) and out of the temple^(AX) came a loud voice^(AY) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”^{(AZ) 18} Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder^(BA) and a severe earthquake.^(BB) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,^(BC) so tremendous was the quake. ¹⁹ The great city^(BD) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered^(BE) Babylon the Great^(BF) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.^{(BG) 20} Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.^{(BH) 21} From the sky huge hailstones,^(BI) each weighing about a hundred pounds,^[a] fell on people. And they cursed God^(BJ) on account of the plague of hail,^(BK) because the plague was so terrible.

⁷ It was given power to wage war^(A) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.^(B)