1 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of *ch. 5:1,5-7the seven seals, and I heard *ch. 4:7one of the four living creatures say *ch. 14:2;19:6with a voice like thunder, *ch. 22:20"Come!" 2 And I looked, and behold, *Zech. 6:3;[ch. 19:11, 19, 21] a white horse! And *[Ps. 45:4,5;Hab. 3:8,9;Zech. 9:13,14] its rider had a bow, and *ch. 14:14;[Zech. 6:11] a crown was given to him, and he came out *See ch. 3:21conquering, and to conquer.

3 When he opened the second seal, I heard *ch. 4:7the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 And out came another horse, *Zech. 1:8;6:2bright red. Its rider was permitted *[Matt. 10:34;24:6,7]to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the *[See ver. 3above] third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, *Zech. 6:2a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, *[Ezek. 4:10,11;5:10,16] "A quart*6:6 Greek choinix, a dry measure equal to about a quart of wheat for a denarius,*6:6 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and *ch. 7:3;9:4do not harm the oil and wine!"

7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of *[See ver. 3above]the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 And I looked, and behold, *[Zech. 6:3] a 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 *Ezek. 14:21with sword and with famine and with pestilence and *Lev. 26:22;Deut. 32:24by wild beasts of the earth.

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under *ch. 14:18;16:7the altar *ch. 20:4the souls of those who had been slain *ch. 1:9for the word of God and for *See ch. 1:2the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, *ch. 3:7holy and true, *[Ps. 94:3;Zech. 1:12] how long *ch. 11:18;19:2before you will judge and *Ps. 79:10;119:84;Luke 18:7,8avenge our blood on *See ch. 3:10those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then they were each given *ch. 3:4;7:9a white robe and *ch. 14:13told to rest a little longer, *[Heb. 11:40] until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers*6:11 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated "brothers") may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters*[Gen. 15:16]should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, *ch. 11:13;16:18;[Heb. 12:26] there was a great earthquake, and *See Matt. 24:29the sun became black as *Isa. 50:3sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, 13 and *[ch. 8:10;9:1] the stars of the sky fell to the earth *Isa. 34:4as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. 14 *[ch. 20:11;21:1] The sky vanished *[See ver. 13above] like a scroll that is being rolled up, and *ch. 16:20;[Isa. 54:10;Jer. 4:24;Ezek. 38:20;Nah. 1:5]every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave*6:15 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface and free, *Isa. 2:19,21hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 *Hos. 10:8;Luke 23:30calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of *ch. 4:2him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for *Jer. 30:7;Joel 2:11,31the great day of their wrath has come, and *Ezra 9:15;Ps. 76:7;Mal. 3:2;Luke 21:36who can stand?"