The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamba opened the first of the seven seals.b Then I heard one of the four living creaturesc 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 creatureh say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.i Its rider was given power to take peace from the earthj 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 creaturek 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 poundsa of wheat for a day’s wages,b and six poundsc of barley for a day’s wages,d n and do not damageo the oil and the wine!”

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creaturep say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!q Its rider was named Death, and Hadesr 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 undert the altaru the souls of those who had been slainv because of the word of Godw 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 eartha and avenge our blood?”b 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,c 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.d

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.e The sun turned blackf like sackclothg made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,h as figs drop from a fig treei when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,j and every mountain and island was removed from its place.k

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,l hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.m 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on usn and hide usf from the face of him who sits on the throneo and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great dayp of theirg wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”q