Revelation 6

Then I saw as the Lamb (Christ) broke one of the seven ^[a]seals [of the scroll initiating the judgments], and I heard one of the four living creatures call out as with a voice of thunder, “^[b]Come.”

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’

I looked, and behold, a ^[c]white horse [of victory] whose rider carried a ^[d]bow; and a crown [of victory] was given to him, and he rode forth conquering and to conquer.

The Second Seal—War

I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

When He (the Lamb) broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, “Come.”

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come!’

And another, a ^[e]fiery red horse [of bloodshed], came out; and its rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him.

The Third Seal—Famine

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

When He (the Lamb) broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse [of famine]; and the rider had in his hand a pair of scales (a balance).

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales 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 (a day’s wages), and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not ^[f]damage the oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal—Death

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A kilogram of wheat for a day’s wages,^[a] and three kilograms of barley for a day’s wages,^[b] and do not damage the oil and the wine!’

When He (the Lamb) broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature call out, “Come.”

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come!’

So I looked, and behold, an ashen (pale greenish gray) horse [like a corpse, representing death and pestilence]; and its rider’s name was Death; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following with him. They were given authority and power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with ^[g]plague (pestilence, disease) and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The Fifth Seal—Martyrs

I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a quarter of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

When He (the Lamb) broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained [out of loyalty to Christ].

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.

They cried in a loud voice, saying, “O Lord, holy and true, how long now before You will sit in judgment and avenge our blood on those [unregenerate ones] who dwell on the earth?”

They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’

Then they were each given a white robe; and they were told to rest and wait quietly for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed.

The Sixth Seal—Terror

Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[c] were killed just as they had been.

I looked when He (the Lamb) broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as ^[h]sackcloth [made] of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,

and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree shedding its late [summer] figs when shaken by a strong wind.

and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig-tree when shaken by a strong wind.

The sky was split [separated from the land] and rolled up like a scroll, and every mountain and island were dislodged and moved out of their places.

The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the ^[i]military commanders and the wealthy and the strong and everyone, [whether] slave or free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

and they called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the [righteous] wrath and indignation of the Lamb;

They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us^[d] from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!

for the great day of their wrath and vengeance and retribution has come, and who is able to [face God and] stand [before the wrath of the Lamb]?”

For the great day of their^[e] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’