⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^(A) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^(B) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

² The first chariot had red horses, the second black,^(A)

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!”

⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:^(A)

⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion^(A) of the tribe of Judah,^(B) the Root of David,^(C) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,^(A) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,^(B) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.^{(C) 7} The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.^(D)

⁶ The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,^[a] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

¹⁶ He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off^(A) the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,^(B)

¹⁰ Weigh out twenty shekels^[a](A) of food to eat each day and eat it at set times.