Book of Common Prayer

6 I saw the Lamb open one of the seven locks. I heard the voice of one of the four living beings call, `Come!' It sounded like thunder.

² And I looked and saw a white horse. The man who rode on it had a bow to shoot arrows. A gold crown for his head was given to him. And he went out fighting to win the victory over his enemies.

³ When the Lamb opened the second lock, I heard the second living being call, `Come!'

⁴ And another horse came out. It was red. The man who rode on it was allowed to take peace away from the earth, so that men would kill each other. The man who rode on it was given a long knife or sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third lock, I heard the third living being call, `Come!' I looked and saw a black horse. The man who rode on it had scales in his hand to weigh things.

⁶ I heard a voice among the four living beings. It said, `Four cups of wheat for bread will sell for a day's wages. Twelve cups of barley will sell for a day's wages. But do not destroy the oil and the wine.'

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth lock, I heard the fourth living being call, `Come!'

⁸ I saw a horse the colour of ashes. The name of the man who rode it was Death. And the one who controls the world of the dead followed him. They were given power over a fourth part of the world. They could kill people with a sword, or by making them go without food to eat, or by making them sick, or with wild animals.

⁹ When the Lamb opened the fifth lock, I saw the souls of people who had been killed. They were under the holy table where incense is burned. They had been killed because they believed God's word and said they believed it.

¹⁰ They called in a loud voice, `Lord, you are holy and true. How long will you wait before you judge and punish the people on earth because they killed us?'

¹¹ Then each one of them was given a white gown to wear. They were told to wait a little longer for the other Christian brothers. Those who worked with them for the Lord would be killed as they had been.

¹² I saw the Lamb opening the sixth lock. The earth shook very much. The sun became very dark, like the black cloth people wear to show they are sad. The full moon became red like blood.

¹³ The stars in the sky fell to the earth. They fell like figs that are not ripe when the fig tree is shaken by a strong wind.

¹⁴ The sky was taken away like paper being rolled up. Every big hill and island was shaken out of its place.

¹⁵ The kings of the world, the great men, the army captains, the rich people, the strong people, every slave, and every freeman hid themselves in holes and the rocks on the big hills.

¹⁶ They called to the hills and to the rocks and said, `Fall on us! Hide us so the One on the throne will not see us. Hide us from the Lamb who is angry with us.

¹⁷ The great day has come, and he is very angry with us. Who can stand before him?'

³¹ `The Son of Man will be great and will come with all his holy angels. Then he will sit on his throne like a king.

³² All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will put them in two groups like a man who takes care of sheep. He puts the sheep on one side of him and he puts the goats on the other side of him.

³³ The Son of Man will put people who are like the sheep at his right side. He will put people who are like the goats at his left side.

³⁴ Then the King will say to those who are at his right side, "Come! My Father has blessed you. The kingdom was made ready for you when the world was first made. Come into it now.

³⁵ I was hungry. You gave me food. I was thirsty. You gave me a drink. I was a stranger. You took me in.

³⁶ I needed clothes. You gave me clothes. I was sick. You came to visit me. I was in prison. You came to see me."

³⁷ `Then the good people will ask him, "Lord when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you a drink?

³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and take you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give you clothes?

³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and come to see you?"

⁴⁰ `The King will answer them, "I tell you the truth. What you did for even the smallest of these people you did for me. They are my brothers."

⁴¹ `Then he will say to those at the left side "Go away from me. You are cursed. Go into the fire that burns for ever. That fire has been made ready for the devil and his angels.

⁴² I was hungry. You did not give me food. I was thirsty. You did not give me a drink.

⁴³ I was a stranger. You did not take me in. I needed clothes. You did not give me any clothes. I was sick and in prison. You did not come to see me."

⁴⁴ `Then they will also ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?"

⁴⁵ `Then the King will answer them, "I tell you the truth. What you did not do for even the smallest of these, you did not do for me."

⁴⁶ And they will go away to be punished for ever. But the good people will go away to live for ever.'