Revelation 6

Revelation 6

The Seven Seals

1Then I saw the Lamb break one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures call out, as with a voice of thunder, “Come!”[#Rev 5.1, 5–7; 14.2; 19.6; #6.1 Or “Go!”]

2I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow; a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer.[#Zech 6.3, 11; Rev 14.14; 19.11]

3When he broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, “Come!”[#6.3 Or “Go!”]

4And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another, and he was given a great sword.[#Zech 6.2; #6.4 Or went]

5When he broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, “Come!” I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand,[#Zech 6.2; Rev 4.7; #6.5 Or “Go!”]

6and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s pay and three quarts of barley for a day’s pay, but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”[#6.6 Gk a denarius; #6.6 Gk a denarius]

7When he broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, “Come!”[#6.7 Or “Go!”]

8I looked, and there was a pale green horse! Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed with him; they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence and by the wild animals of the earth.[#Ezek 5.12; Hos 13.14; Zech 6.3]

9When he broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given;[#Rev 1.9; 12.17; 14.18; 16.7; 20.4]

10they cried out with a loud voice, “Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?”[#Ps 79.10; Zech 1.12; Rev 3.7; 19.2]

11They were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number would be complete both of their fellow servants and of their brothers and sisters who were soon to be killed as they themselves had been killed.[#Heb 11.40; Rev 3.5; 7.9; 14.13]

12When he broke the sixth seal, I looked, and there was a great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,[#Joel 2.31; Mt 24.29; Acts 2.20; Rev 16.18]

13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree drops its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.[#Isa 34.4; Rev 8.10; 9.1]

14The sky vanished like a scroll rolling itself up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.[#Isa 34.4; Jer 3.23; 4.24; Rev 16.20]

15Then the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and the powerful and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,[#Isa 2.10, 19]

16calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,[#Hos 10.8; Lk 23.30; Rev 9.6]

17for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”[#Ps 76.7; Zeph 1.14; Rev 16.14; #6.17 Other ancient authorities read his]

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Published by: National Council of the Churches of Christ