The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a thunderous voice, “Come!”

So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.

The Second Seal: War

And when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword.

The Third Seal: Famine

And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales.

And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,(a) and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”

The Fourth Seal: Death

And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”

Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.

The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs

And when the Lamb 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 testimony they had upheld.

And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”

Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.

The Sixth Seal: Terror

And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,

and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind.

The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us

(b)

from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

For the great day of Their

(c)

wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”

Footnotes

(a)6:6 Greek A choenix of wheat for a denarius. A choenix was a Greek dry measure equivalent to 1.92 pints or 0.91 liters. A denarius was customarily a day’s wage for a laborer; see Matthew 20:2.

(b)6:16 See Hosea 10:8.

I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, “Come and see!”

Then a white horse appeared, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

The Second Seal: War

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!”

Another came out, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword.

The Third Seal: Famine

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come and see!” And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand.

I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix(a) of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!”

The Fourth Seal: Death

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see!”

And behold, a pale horse, and the name of he who sat on it was Death. Hades(b) followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him.

The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had.

They cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

A long white robe was given to each of them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers,(c) who would also be killed even as they were, should complete their course.

The Sixth Seal: Terror

I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood.

The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind.

The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.

They told the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,

for the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Footnotes

(a)6:6 A choenix is a dry volume measure that is a little more than a liter (a little more than a quart).

(b)6:8 or, Hell

(c)6:11 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”