Revelation 6:1–8

The Seals

6I watched as the Lamb^a opened the first of the seven seals.^b Then I heard one of the four living creatures^c say in a voice like thunder,^d “Come!” ²I 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

³When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature^h say, “Come!” ⁴Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.ⁱ Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^j and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^k say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^l Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,^m saying, “Two pounds^a of wheat for a day’s wages,^b and six pounds^c of barley for a day’s wages,^dn and do not damage^o the oil and the wine!”

⁷When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature^p say, “Come!” ⁸I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!^q Its rider was named Death, and Hades^r 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