Revelation 6

The Seals

 ¹I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" ²I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

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

 ⁵When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart^[a] of wheat for a day's wages,^[b] and three quarts of barley for a day's wages,^[c] and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

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

 ⁹When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" ¹¹Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

 ¹²I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

 ¹⁵Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶They called to 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! ¹⁷For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

Revelation 7

144,000 Sealed

 ¹After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ²Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." ⁴Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
 ⁵From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
   from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
   from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
 ⁶from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
   from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
   from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
 ⁷from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
   from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
   from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
 ⁸from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
   from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
   from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

 ⁹After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰And they cried out in a loud voice:
   "Salvation belongs to our God,
   who sits on the throne,
   and to the Lamb." ¹¹All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying:
   "Amen!
   Praise and glory
   and wisdom and thanks and honor
   and power and strength
   be to our God for ever and ever.
   Amen!"

 ¹³Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?"

 ¹⁴I answered, "Sir, you know."

   And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵Therefore,
   "they are before the throne of God
      and serve him day and night in his temple;
   and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
 ¹⁶Never again will they hunger;
      never again will they thirst.
   The sun will not beat upon them,
      nor any scorching heat.
 ¹⁷For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
      he will lead them to springs of living water.
   And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Proverbs 9

Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly

 ¹ Wisdom has built her house;
       she has hewn out its seven pillars.

 ² She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
       she has also set her table.

 ³ She has sent out her maids, and she calls
       from the highest point of the city.

 ⁴ "Let all who are simple come in here!"
       she says to those who lack judgment.

 ⁵ "Come, eat my food
       and drink the wine I have mixed.

 ⁶ Leave your simple ways and you will live;
       walk in the way of understanding.

 ⁷ "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
       whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.

 ⁸ Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
       rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

 ⁹ Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
       teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

 ¹⁰ "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
       and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

 ¹¹ For through me your days will be many,
       and years will be added to your life.

 ¹² If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
       if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

 ¹³ The woman Folly is loud;
       she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

 ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house,
       on a seat at the highest point of the city,

 ¹⁵ calling out to those who pass by,
       who go straight on their way.

 ¹⁶ "Let all who are simple come in here!"
       she says to those who lack judgment.

 ¹⁷ "Stolen water is sweet;
       food eaten in secret is delicious!"

 ¹⁸ But little do they know that the dead are there,
       that her guests are in the depths of the grave.