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Then the (A)fifth angel sounded. Then I saw a (B)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth, and the (C)key of the (D)pit of the abyss was given to him. And he opened the pit of the abyss and (E)smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace, and (F)the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came (G)locusts [a]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the (H)scorpions of the earth have power. And they were told not to (I)hurt the (J)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the (K)seal of God on their foreheads. And [b]they were not permitted to kill [c]anyone, but to torment for (L)five months, and their torment was like the torment of a (M)scorpion when it [d]stings a man. And in those days (N)men will seek death and will never find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

And the [e](O)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. And on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. And they had hair like the hair of women, and their (P)teeth were like the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the (Q)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses running to battle. 10 And they have tails like (R)scorpions, and stings; and in their (S)tails is their power to hurt men for (T)five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the (U)abyss. His name in (V)Hebrew is [f](W)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name [g]Apollyon.

12 (X)One woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard [h]a voice from the [i]four (Y)horns of the (Z)golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the (AA)four angels who have been bound at the (AB)great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels were (AC)released, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, so that they would kill a (AD)third of [j]mankind. 16 And the number of the armies of the horsemen was (AE)two hundred million; (AF)I heard the number of them. 17 And [k]this is how I saw (AG)in the vision the horses and those who sit on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of [l](AH)brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and (AI)out of their mouths come fire and smoke and [m](AJ)brimstone. 18 A (AK)third of [n]mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the (AL)fire and the smoke and the [o]brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads, and with them they do harm.

20 And the rest of [p]mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, (AM)did not repent of (AN)the works of their hands, so as not to (AO)worship demons, and (AP)the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they (AQ)did not repent of their murders nor of their (AR)sorceries nor of their (AS)sexual immorality nor of their thefts.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 9:3 Lit into
  2. Revelation 9:5 Lit it was given to them that they might not kill them
  3. Revelation 9:5 Lit them
  4. Revelation 9:5 Lit strikes
  5. Revelation 9:7 Lit likenesses
  6. Revelation 9:11 Destruction
  7. Revelation 9:11 Destroyer
  8. Revelation 9:13 Lit one voice
  9. Revelation 9:13 Two early mss omit four
  10. Revelation 9:15 Gr anthropoi
  11. Revelation 9:17 Lit thus I saw
  12. Revelation 9:17 Burning sulfur
  13. Revelation 9:17 Burning sulfur
  14. Revelation 9:18 Gr anthropoi
  15. Revelation 9:18 Burning sulfur
  16. Revelation 9:20 Gr anthropoi

Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw one who had fallen to earth from heaven,[a] and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from some huge furnace, and the sun and air were darkened by the smoke.

Then locusts came from the smoke and descended onto the earth and were given power to sting like scorpions. They were told not to hurt the grass or plants or trees, but to attack those people who did not have the mark of God on their foreheads. They were not to kill them, but to torture them for five months with agony like the pain of scorpion stings. In those days men will try to kill themselves but won’t be able to—death will not come. They will long to die—but death will flee away!

The locusts looked like horses armored for battle. They had what looked like golden crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like men’s. Their hair was long like women’s, and their teeth were those of lions. They wore breastplates that seemed to be of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had stinging tails like scorpions, and their power to hurt, given to them for five months, was in their tails. 11 Their king is the Prince of the bottomless pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon (and in English, the Destroyer).[b]

12 One terror now ends, but there are two more coming!

13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the golden altar that stands before the throne of God, 14 saying to the sixth angel, “Release the four mighty demons[c] held bound at the great River Euphrates.” 15 They had been kept in readiness for that year and month and day and hour, and now they were turned loose to kill a third of all mankind. 16 They led an army of 200,000,000 warriors[d]—I heard an announcement of how many there were.

17-18 I saw their horses spread out before me in my vision; their riders wore fiery-red breastplates, though some were sky-blue and others yellow. The horses’ heads looked much like lions’, and smoke and fire and flaming sulphur billowed from their mouths, killing one-third of all mankind. 19 Their power of death was not only in their mouths, but in their tails as well, for their tails were similar to serpents’ heads that struck and bit with fatal wounds.

20 But the men left alive after these plagues still refused to worship God! They would not renounce their demon-worship, nor their idols made of gold and silver, brass, stone, and wood—which neither see nor hear nor walk! 21 Neither did they change their mind and attitude about all their murders and witchcraft, their immorality and theft.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 9:1 one who had fallen to earth from heaven, literally, “a star fallen from heaven”; it is unclear whether this person is of satanic origin, as most commentators believe, or whether the reference is to Christ.
  2. Revelation 9:11 (and in English, the Destroyer), implied.
  3. Revelation 9:14 mighty demons, literally, “[fallen] angels.”
  4. Revelation 9:16 If this is a literal figure, it is no longer incredible, in view of a world population in excess of 6 billion in the near future. In China alone, in 1961, there were an “estimated 200 million armed and organized militiamen” (Associated Press Release, April 24, 1964). warriors, literally, “horsemen.”