Revelation 5–6

The Scroll and the Lamb

5Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne ^ha scroll written within and on the back, ⁱsealed with seven seals. ²And ^jI saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, ^kthe Lion ^lof the tribe of Judah, ^mthe Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw ⁿa Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with ^oseven eyes, which are ^pthe seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders ^qfell down before the Lamb, ^reach holding a harp, and ^sgolden bowls full of incense, ^twhich are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang ^ua new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for ^vyou were slain, and by your blood ^wyou ransomed people for God

from ^xevery tribe and language and people and nation,

¹⁰and you have made them ^ya kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering ^zmyriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²saying with a loud voice,

^a“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³And I heard ^bevery creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

¹⁴And the four living creatures ^csaid, “Amen!” and the elders ^dfell down and worshiped.

The Seven Seals

6Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of ^ethe seven seals, and I heard ^fone of the four living creatures say ^gwith a voice like thunder, ^h“Come!” ²And I looked, and behold, ⁱa white horse! And ^jits rider had a bow, and ^ka crown was given to him, and he came out ^lconquering, and to conquer.

³When he opened the second seal, I heard ^mthe second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴And out came another horse, ⁿbright red. Its rider was permitted ^oto take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

⁵When he opened the third seal, I heard the ^mthird living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, ^pa black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, ^q“A quart¹ of wheat for a denarius,² and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and ^rdo not harm the oil and wine!”

⁷When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of ^mthe fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸And I looked, and behold, ^sa pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill ^twith sword and with famine and with pestilence and ^uby wild beasts of the earth.

⁹When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under ^vthe altar ^wthe souls of those who had been slain ^xfor the word of God and for ^ythe witness they had borne. ¹⁰They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, ^zholy and true, ^ahow long ^bbefore you will judge and ^cavenge our blood on ^dthose who dwell on the earth?” ¹¹Then they were each given ^ea white robe and ^ftold to rest a little longer, ^guntil the number of their fellow servants and their brothers^{4 h}should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

¹²When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, ⁱthere was a great earthquake, and ^jthe sun became black as ^ksackcloth, the full moon became like blood, ¹³and ^lthe stars of the sky fell to the earth ^mas the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. ¹⁴ⁿThe sky vanished ^mlike a scroll that is being rolled up, and ^oevery mountain and island was removed from its place. ¹⁵Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave⁵ and free, ^phid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ^16qcalling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of ^rhim who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷for ^sthe great day of their wrath has come, and ^twho can stand?”