Revelation 4-6

English Standard Version

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me ^(A)like a trumpet, said, ^(B)“Come up here, and ^(C)I will show you what must take place after this.” ² At once ^(D)I was in the Spirit, and behold, ^(E)a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³ And he who sat there had the appearance of ^(F)jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was ^(G)a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were ^(H)twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, ^(I)clothed in white garments, with ^(J)golden crowns on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came ^(K)flashes of lightning, and rumblings^[a] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning ^(L)seven torches of fire, ^(M)which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶ and before the throne there was ^(N)as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are ^(O)four living creatures, ^(P)full of eyes in front and behind: ^7 (Q)the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. ⁸ And the four living creatures, ^(R)each of them with six wings, are ^(S)full of eyes all around and within, and ^(T)day and night they never cease to say,

⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, ^(W)who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders ^(X)fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast ^(Y)their crowns before the throne, saying,

The Scroll and the Lamb

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

⁶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw ^(AI)a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with ^(AJ)seven eyes, which are ^(AK)the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders ^(AL)fell down before the Lamb, ^(AM)each holding a harp, and ^(AN)golden bowls full of incense, ^(AO)which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang ^(AP)a new song, saying,

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

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

¹⁴ And the four living creatures ^(AX)said, “Amen!” and the elders ^(AY)fell down and worshiped.

The Seven Seals

6 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of ^(AZ)the seven seals, and I heard ^(BA)one of the four living creatures say ^(BB)with a voice like thunder, ^(BC)“Come!” ² And I looked, and behold, ^(BD)a white horse! And ^(BE)its rider had a bow, and ^(BF)a crown was given to him, and he came out ^(BG)conquering, and to conquer.

³ When he opened the second seal, I heard ^(BH)the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴ And out came another horse, ^(BI)bright red. Its rider was permitted ^(BJ)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 ^(BK)third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, ^(BL)a 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, ^(BM)“A quart^[b] of wheat for a denarius,^[c] and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and ^(BN)do not harm the oil and wine!”

⁷ When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of ^(BO)the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ And I looked, and behold, ^(BP)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 ^(BQ)with sword and with famine and with pestilence and ^(BR)by wild beasts of the earth.

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under ^(BS)the altar ^(BT)the souls of those who had been slain ^(BU)for the word of God and for ^(BV)the witness they had borne. ¹⁰ They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, ^(BW)holy and true, ^(BX)how long ^(BY)before you will judge and ^(BZ)avenge our blood on ^(CA)those who dwell on the earth?” ¹¹ Then they were each given ^(CB)a white robe and ^(CC)told to rest a little longer, ^(CD)until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers^{[d] (CE)}should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

¹² When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, ^(CF)there was a great earthquake, and ^(CG)the sun became black as ^(CH)sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, ¹³ and ^(CI)the stars of the sky fell to the earth ^(CJ)as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. ^14 (CK)The sky vanished ^(CL)like a scroll that is being rolled up, and ^(CM)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^[e] and free, ^(CN)hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ^16 (CO)calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of ^(CP)him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ for ^(CQ)the great day of their wrath has come, and ^(CR)who can stand?”