Revelation 5–6

THE LAMB TAKES THE SCROLL

5Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals.^{l 2}I also saw a mighty angel^m proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it. ⁴I wept and wept because no one was found worthy to open^D the scroll or even to look in it. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah,ⁿ the Root of David,^o has conquered^p so that he is able to open the scroll and^E its seven seals.”

⁶Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb^q standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God^r sent into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll out of the right hand of the one seated on the throne.

THE LAMB IS WORTHY

⁸When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp^s and golden bowls^t filled with incense,^u which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song:^v

You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slaughtered,

and you purchased^A people^B

for God by your blood

from every tribe and language

and people and nation.^w

¹⁰You made them a kingdom^C

and priests to our God,^x

and they will reign on the earth.

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.^{y 12}They said with a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and blessing!

¹³I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth,^z on the sea, and everything in them say,^aa

Blessing and honor and glory and power

be to the one seated on the throne,

and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

THE FIRST SEAL ON THE SCROLL

6Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven^D seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder,^ab “Come!” ²I looked, and there was a white horse.^ac Its rider held a bow;^ad a crown^ae was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.^E

THE SECOND SEAL

³When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴Then another horse went out, a fiery red one,^af and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.^a

THE THIRD SEAL

⁵When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse.^b Its rider held a set of scales in his hand.^{c 6}Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,^F and three quarts of barley for a denarius,^d but do not harm the oil and the wine.”^e

THE FOURTH SEAL

⁷When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸And I looked, and there was a pale green^G horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him.^f They were^H given authority^g over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.^h

THE FIFTH SEAL

⁹When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given.^{Ai 10}They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord,^B the one who is holy and true,^j how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?^k” ¹¹So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.

THE SIXTH SEAL

¹²Then I saw him open^C the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred;^l the sun turned black like sackcloth^m made of hair; the entire moon^D became like blood;^{n 13}the stars^E of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; ¹⁴the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up;^o and every mountain and island was moved from its place.^p

¹⁵Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{q 16}And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us^r from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷because the great day of their^F wrath has come! And who is able to stand?”^s