[1] Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one
of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder, "Come!" [2]
And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown
was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. [3] When he
opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" [4]
And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take
peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and he was given
a great sword. [5] When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living
creature say, "Come!" And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and its rider
had a balance in his hand; [6] and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the
midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a
denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; but do not harm oil
and wine!" [7] When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the
fourth living creature say, "Come!" [8] And I saw, and behold, a pale
horse, and its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him; and they
were given power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with
famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. [9] When he
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had
been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; [10]
they cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how
long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon
the earth?" [11] Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a
little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren
should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. [12]
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became
like blood, [13] and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree
sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale; [14] the sky vanished like a
scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from
its place. [15] Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the
generals and the rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in
the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, [16] calling to the
mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is
seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; [17] for the great
day of their wrath has come, and who can stand before it?"
