The First Seal: Conqueror on a White Horse

Then I saw when the (A)Lamb broke one of the (B)seven seals, and I heard one of the (C)four living creatures saying as with a (D)voice of thunder, “Come[a]!” I looked, and behold, a (E)white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and (F)a crown was given to him, and he went out (G)conquering and to conquer.

The Second Seal: War

When He broke the second seal, I heard the (H)second living creature saying, “Come[b]!” And another, (I)a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to (J)take peace from the earth, and that people would kill one another; and a large sword was given to him.

The Third Seal: Famine

When He broke the third seal, I heard the (K)third living creature saying, “Come[c]!” I looked, and behold, a (L)black horse, and the one who sat on it had a (M)pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the (N)four living creatures saying, “A [d]quart of wheat for a [e]denarius, and three [f]quarts of barley for a [g]denarius; and (O)do not damage the oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal: Death

When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the (P)fourth living creature saying, “Come[h]!” I looked, and behold, [i]an (Q)ashen horse; and the one who sat on it had the name (R)Death, and (S)Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, (T)to kill with sword, and famine, and [j]plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The Fifth Seal: Martyrs

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw (U)underneath the (V)altar the (W)souls of those who had been killed (X)because of the word of God, and because of the (Y)testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “(Z)How long, O [k](AA)Lord, (AB)holy and true, [l]will You refrain from (AC)judging and avenging our blood on (AD)those who live on the earth?” 11 And a (AE)white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to (AF)rest for a little while longer, (AG)until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was (AH)completed also.

The Sixth Seal: Terror

12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great (AI)earthquake; and the (AJ)sun became as black as (AK)sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and (AL)the stars of the sky fell to the earth, (AM)as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 (AN)The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and (AO)every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then (AP)the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they *(AQ)said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the [m]sight of Him (AR)who sits on the throne, and from the (AS)wrath of the Lamb; 17 for (AT)the great day of Their wrath has come, and (AU)who is able to stand?”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 6:1 One early ms and see
  2. Revelation 6:3 One early ms and see
  3. Revelation 6:5 One early ms and see
  4. Revelation 6:6 Gr choenix; i.e., a dry measure almost equal to a qt.
  5. Revelation 6:6 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  6. Revelation 6:6 Gr choenix; i.e., a dry measure almost equal to a qt.
  7. Revelation 6:6 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  8. Revelation 6:7 One early ms and see
  9. Revelation 6:8 Or a sickly pale green
  10. Revelation 6:8 Lit death; i.e., a particular kind of death
  11. Revelation 6:10 Or Master
  12. Revelation 6:10 Lit do You not judge and avenge
  13. Revelation 6:16 Lit face

The Opening of the First Six Seals

And I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying like the sound of thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one seated on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and in order that he might conquer.

And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” And another horse came out, fiery red, and it was granted to the one seated on it to take peace from the earth, and that they would slaughter one another, and a large sword was given to him.

And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse, and the one seated on it had a balance scale in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard a voice from the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale green horse, and the one seated on it was named[a] Death, and Hades followed after him. And authority was granted to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword and by famine and by pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had, 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long[b], holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” 11 And to each one of them a white robe was given, and it was said to them that they should rest yet a short time, until the number of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they had been were completed also.

12 And I watched when he opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black like sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood, 13 and the stars of heaven[c] fell to the earth like a fig tree throws down its unripe figs when[d] shaken by a great wind. 14 And the sky was split apart like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved from their place. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the most important people, and the military leaders, and the rich, and the powerful, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 6:8 Literally “name to him”
  2. Revelation 6:10 Literally “until when”
  3. Revelation 6:13 Or “of the sky”
  4. Revelation 6:13 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“shaken”) which is understood as temporal