6 Then I watched while the Lamb opened one of the seven seals on the book. I heard one of the four beings say, ‘Come!’ It spoke very loudly with a voice like thunder. 2 I looked, and I saw a white horse. The person who was riding the horse held a bow. Someone gave him a crown. He had fought against many people and he had won. Now he rode out on his horse to win against many more people.
3 Then the Lamb opened the second seal. I heard another of the beings say, ‘Come!’ 4 Then another horse came out. This horse was bright red, like fire. The person who was riding the horse had authority. He could take peace away from the earth, so that people killed each other. Someone gave him a large sword.
5 Then the Lamb opened the third seal. I heard the next being say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and I saw a black horse. The person who was riding the horse held something in his hand. He used it to weigh things. 6 Then I heard a sound like somebody speaking among the four beings. The voice said, ‘A litre of wheat is worth one day's work. And three litres of barley is also worth one day's work. But do not destroy the olive oil and the wine.’ [ a ]
7 Then the Lamb opened the fourth seal. I heard the last being say, ‘Come!’ 8 I looked, and I saw a grey horse. [ b ] The name of the person who was riding the horse was Death. The place for dead people, called Hades, was following near to him. They had authority to kill people in a quarter of the earth. They could kill people in different ways. They could kill them in wars. They could cause people to die because there was no food. They could cause people to become very ill so that they died. They could also cause wild animals to kill people.
9 Then the Lamb opened the fifth seal. I saw an altar where people offered gifts to God. I saw the souls of some of God's people under the altar. These people had died because they had believed God's message. They had continued to speak the true message about Jesus Christ. That is why people had killed them. 10 These believers called out loudly, ‘Lord, you have all authority. You are completely good. You always do what is right. When will you decide to judge the people who live on the earth? Do not wait! You should quickly punish the people who killed us!’
11 Then each believer received white clothes. God told them to wait for a short time more. They must wait until other believers on earth also died. These believers are also servants of God. God will wait until people kill those believers too. Then the number of them will be complete.
12 I watched again. I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal. Then the ground shook with a great earthquake. The sun became black like thick black cloth. The whole moon became red like blood. 13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth. They fell like fruits fall from a tree when a strong wind blows. 14 The sky divided into two parts. It rolled up like a piece of paper. Every mountain and every island moved away from its place.
15 Then everyone on the earth hid themselves. They went to the mountains and they hid among the rocks and in holes in the rocks. Everyone tried to hide, even the kings and the rulers. The soldiers' leaders, the rich people and other powerful people all went to hide. Everyone hid, whether they were slaves or free people. 16 They shouted to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and cover us. Hide us, so that the one who sits on the throne cannot see us. Also hide us from the Lamb who is very angry with us. 17 Their great day has come. They will punish us because they are so angry. Nobody will be able to escape.’
6 Then I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living beings speak with a voice like thunder. It said, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse. The rider on the horse held a bow and was given a crown. He rode out to defeat the enemy and win the victory.
3 The Lamb opened the second seal. Then I heard the second living being say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a red one. The rider on the horse was given power to take away peace from the earth so that people would kill each other. He was given a big sword.
5 The Lamb opened the third seal. Then I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse. The rider on the horse held a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard something that sounded like a voice. The voice came from where the four living beings were. It said, “A quart [ a ] of wheat or three quarts of barley will cost a full day’s pay. But don’t harm the supply of olive oil and wine!”
7 The Lamb opened the fourth seal. Then I heard the voice of the fourth living being say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale-colored horse. The rider on the horse was death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth—power to kill people with the sword, by starving, by disease, and with the wild animals of the earth.
9 The Lamb opened the fifth seal. Then I saw some souls under the altar. They were the souls of those who had been killed because they were faithful to God’s message and to the truth they had received. 10 These souls shouted in a loud voice, “Holy and true Lord, how long until you judge the people of the earth and punish them for killing us?” 11 Then each one of them was given a white robe. They were told to wait a short time longer. There were still some of their brothers and sisters in the service of Christ who must be killed as they were. These souls were told to wait until all the killing was finished.
12 Then I watched while the Lamb opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake, and the sun became as black as sackcloth. [ b ] The full moon became red like blood. 13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping its figs when the wind blows. 14 The sky was split in the middle and both sides rolled up like a scroll. And every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15 Then all the people—the kings of the world, the rulers, the army commanders, the rich people, the powerful people, every slave, and every free person—hid themselves in caves and behind the rocks on the mountains. 16 They said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us. Hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne. Hide us from the anger of the Lamb! 17 The great day for their anger has come. No one can stand against it.”
6 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.
2 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.
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 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.
9 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?
6 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 ] !” 2 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.
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the ( H ) second living creature saying, “Come [ b ] !” 4 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.
5 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. 6 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.”
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the ( P ) fourth living creature saying, “Come [ h ] !” 8 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.
9 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.
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?”
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 )
