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Revelation 1 1 2 Then I watched while the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures cry out in a voice like thunder,＂Come forward.＂ 以后我看见：当羔羊开启七个印中第一个印的时候，我听见四个活物中第一个，如打雷的响声说：＂来！＂ 2 I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider had a bow. 3 He was given a crown, and he rode forth victorious to further his victories. 我就看见，有一匹白马出现，骑马的持着弓，并给了他一顶冠冕；他像胜利者出发，必百战百胜。 3 When he broke open the second seal, I heard the second living creature cry out,＂Come forward.＂ 当羔羊开启第二个印的时候，我听见第二个活物说：＂来！＂ 4 4 Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And he was given a huge sword. 就出来了另一匹马，是红色的，骑马的得到从地上除去和平的权柄，为使人彼此残杀；于是给了他一把大刀。 5 When he broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature cry out,＂Come forward.＂ I looked, and there was a black horse, 5 and its rider held a scale in his hand. 当羔羊开启第三个印的时候，我听见第三个活物说：＂来！＂我就看见，出来了一匹黑马，骑马的手中拿著天秤。 6 I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures. It said,＂A ration of wheat costs a day's pay, 6 and three rations of barley cost a day's pay. But do not damage the olive oil or the wine.＂ 我听见在那四个活物当中彷佛有声音说：＂麦子一升值一＂德纳，＂大麦三升也值一＂德纳，＂只不可糟蹋了油和酒。＂ 7 When he broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature cry out,＂Come forward.＂ 当羔羊开启第四个印的时候，我听见第四个活物的声音说：＂来！＂ 8 I looked, and there was a pale green 7 horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades accompanied him. They were given authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and plague, and by means of the beasts of the earth. 我就看见，出来了一匹青马，骑马的名叫＂死亡，＂阴间也跟着他；并给了他们统治世界四分之一的权柄，好借刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫，并借地上的野兽，去执行杀戮。 9 When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar 8 the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. 当羔羊开启第五个印的时候，我看见在祭坛下面，那些曾为了天主的话，并为了他们所持守的证言，而被宰杀者的灵魂， 10 They cried out in a loud voice,＂How long will it be, holy and true master, 9 before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?＂ 大声喊说：＂圣洁而真实的主啊！你不行审判，不向世上的居民为我们的血伸冤，要到几时呢？＂ 11 Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been. 遂给了他们每人一件白衣，并告诉他们还要静候片时，直到他们的同仆，和那些将要如他们一样被杀的弟兄，达到了圆满的数目为止。 12 10 Then I watched while he broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; the sun turned as black as dark sackcloth 11 and the whole moon became like blood. 以后我看见，当羔羊开启第六个印的时候，发生了大地震，太阳变黑，有如粗毛衣；整个月亮变得像血， 13 The stars in the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs 12 shaken loose from the tree in a strong wind. 天上的星辰坠落在地上，有如无花果树为大风所动摇而坠下的未熟的果实； 14 Then the sky was divided 13 like a torn scroll curling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 天也隐退，有如卷起的书卷；一切山岭和岛屿都移了本位。 15 The kings of the earth, the nobles, 14 the military officers, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid themselves in caves and among mountain crags. 世上的君王、首领、军长、富人、勇士，以及一切为奴的和自由的人，都隐藏在洞穴和山岭的岩石中， 16 They cried out to the mountains and the rocks,＂Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 向山岭和岩石说：＂倒在我们身上，遮盖我们罢！好避免那坐在宝座上的面容和那羔羊的震怒， 17 because the great day of their 15 wrath has come and who can withstand it?＂ 因为他们发怒的大日子来临了，有谁能站立得住？＂ Footnotes(注解) 1 [6:1-16:21] A series of seven disasters now begins as each seal is broken (Rev 6:1-8:1), followed by a similar series as seven trumpets sound (Rev 8:2-11:19) and as seven angels pour bowls on the earth causing plagues (Rev 15:1-16:21). These gloomy sequences are interrupted by longer or shorter scenes suggesting the triumph of God and his witnesses (e.g., Rev 7; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14). 2 [1-17] This chapter provides a symbolic description of the contents of the sealed scroll. The breaking of the first four seals reveals four riders. The first rider (of a white horse) is a conquering power (Rev 6:1-2), the second (red horse) a symbol of bloody war (Rev 6:3-4), the third (black horse) a symbol of famine (Rev 6:5-6), the fourth (pale green horse) a symbol of Death himself, accompanied by Hades (the netherworld) as his page (Rev 6:7-8). Rev 6:8b summarizes the role of all four riders. The breaking of the fifth seal reveals Christian martyrs in an attitude of sacrifice as blood poured out at the foot of an altar begging God for vindication, which will come only when their quota is filled; but they are given a white robe symbolic of victory (Rev 6:9-11). The breaking of the sixth seal reveals typical apocalyptic signs in the sky and the sheer terror of all people at the imminent divine judgment (Rev 6:12-17). * [1-8] The imagery is adapted from Zechariah 1:8-10; 6:1-8. 3 [2] White horse . . . bow: this may perhaps allude specifically to the Parthians on the eastern border of the 4 [4] Huge sword: this is a symbol of war and violence; cf Ezekiel 21:14-17. 5 [5] Black horse: this is a symbol of famine, the usual accompaniment of war in antiquity; cf Lev 26:26; Ezekiel 4:12-13. The scale is a symbol of shortage of food with a corresponding rise in price. 6 [6] A day's pay: literally,＂a denarius,＂ a Roman silver coin that constitutes a day's wage in Matthew 20:2. Because of the famine, food was rationed and sold at an exorbitant price. A liter of flour was considered a day's ration in the Greek historians Herodotus and Diogenes Laertius. Barley: food of the poor (John 6:9, 13; cf 2 Kings 7:1, 16, 18); it was also used to feed animals; cf 1 Kings 5:8. Do not damage: the olive and the vine are to be used more sparingly in time of famine. 7 [8] Pale green: symbol of death and decay; cf Ezekiel 14:21. 8 [9] The altar: this altar corresponds to the altar of holocausts in the temple in 9 [10] Holy and true master: Old Testament usage as well as the context indicates that this is addressed to God rather than to Christ. 10 [12-14] Symbolic rather than literal description of the cosmic upheavals attending the day of the Lord when the martyrs' prayer for vindication (Rev 6:10) would be answered; cf Amos 8:8-9; Isaiah 34:4; 50:3; Joel 2:10; 3:3-4; Matthew 24:4-36; Mark 13:5-37; Luke 21:8-36. 11 [12] Dark sackcloth: for mourning, sackcloth was made from the skin of a black goat. 12 [13] Unripe figs: literally,＂summer (or winter) fruit.＂ 13 [14] Was divided: literally,＂was split,＂ like a broken papyrus roll torn in two, each half then curling up to form a roll on either side. 14 [15] Nobles: literally,＂courtiers,＂＂grandees.＂ Military officers: literally,＂commanders of 1,000 men,＂ used in Josephus and other Greek authors as the equivalent of the Roman tribunus militum. The listing of various ranks of society represents the universality of terror at the impending doom. 15 [17] Their: this reading is attested in the best manuscripts, but the vast majority read＂his＂ in reference to the wrath of the Lamb in the preceding verse. |
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