Revelation 9
Contemporary English Version
9 When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star[a] fall from the sky to earth. It was given the key to the tunnel that leads down to the deep pit. 2 (A) As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke. 3 (B) Locusts[b] came out of the smoke and covered the earth. They were given the same power that scorpions have.
4 (C) The locusts were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or any tree. They were to punish only those people who did not have God's mark on their foreheads. 5 The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion. 6 (D) In those days people will want to die, but they will not be able to. They will hope for death, but it will escape from them.
7 (E) These locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns, and they had human faces. 8 (F) Their hair was like a woman's long hair, and their teeth were like those of a lion. 9 (G) On their chests they wore armor made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. 10 Their tails were like a scorpion's tail with a stinger that had the power to hurt someone for five months. 11 Their king was the angel in charge of the deep pit. In Hebrew his name was Abaddon, and in Greek it was Apollyon.[c]
12 The first horrible thing has now happened! But wait. Two more horrible things will happen soon.
13 (H) Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice speak from the four corners of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. 14 The voice spoke to this angel and said, “Release the four angels who are tied up beside the great Euphrates River.” 15 The four angels had been prepared for this very hour and day and month and year. Now they were set free to kill a third of all people.
16 By listening, I could tell there were more than 200,000,000 war horses. 17 (I) In my vision their riders wore fiery-red, dark-blue, and yellow armor on their chests. The heads of the horses looked like lions, with fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 18 One third of all people were killed by the three terrible troubles caused by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur. 19 The horses had powerful mouths, and their tails were like poisonous snakes that bite and hurt.
20 (J) The people who lived through these terrible troubles did not turn away from the idols they had made, and they did not stop worshiping demons. They kept on worshiping idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. Not one of these idols could see, hear, or walk. 21 No one stopped murdering or practicing witchcraft or being immoral or stealing.
Revelation 9
King James Version
9 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Revelation 9
Wycliffe Bible
9 And the fifth angel trumpeted; and I saw, that a star had fallen down from heaven into earth; and the key of the pit of deepness was given to it. [And the fifth angel sang in trump; and I saw that a star had fallen down from heaven into earth; and the key of the pit of deepness was given to him.]
2 And it opened the pit of deepness [And he opened the pit of deepness], and a smoke of the pit ascended up, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun was darked, and the air, of the smoke of the pit.
3 And locusts went out of the smoke of the pit into earth [And of the smoke of the pit locusts went out into the earth]; and power was given to them, as scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded to them, that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only men, that have not the sign of God [that have not the mark of God] in their foreheads.
5 And it was given to them, that they should not slay them, but that they should be tormented five months; and the tormenting of them, as the tormenting of a scorpion, when he smiteth a man.
6 And in those days men shall seek death, and they shall not find it; and they shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the likeness of locusts be like horses made ready into battle [And the likeness of locusts be like to horses made ready to battle]; and on the heads of them as crowns like gold, and the faces of them as the faces of men.
8 And they had hairs, as the hairs of women; and the teeth of them were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had habergeons, as iron habergeons, and the voice of their wings as the voice of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like [to] scorpions, and pricks were in the tails of them; and the might of them was to harm men five months.
11 And they had on [upon] them a king, the angel of deepness, to whom the name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but by Greek Apollyon, and by Latin he hath a name Exterminus, that is, Destroyer.
12 One woe is passed, and lo! yet come two woes.
13 After these things also the sixth angel trumpeted [After these things also the sixth angel sang in trump]; and I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar, that is before the eyes of God,
14 and said to the sixth angel that had a trumpet, Unbind thou four angels, that be bound in the great river Euphrates. [saying to the sixth angel that had a trump, Unbind the four angels, that be bound in the great flood Euphrates.]
15 And the four angels were unbound, which were ready into hour, and day, and month, and year, to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the host of horsemen was twenty thousand times ten thousand. And I heard the number of them.
17 And so I saw horses in vision; and they that sat on them had fiery habergeons, and of jacinth, and of brimstone [and brimstone]. And the heads of the horses were as [the] heads of lions; and fire, and smoke, and brimstone, cometh forth of the mouth of them [and of the mouth of them fire came forth, and smoke and brimstone].
18 Of these three plagues the third part of men was slain, of the fire, and of the smoke, and of the brimstone, that came out of the mouth of them.
19 For the power of the horses is in the mouth of them, and in the tails of them; for the tails of them be like to serpents, having heads, and in them they harm.
20 And the other men, that were not slain in these plagues, neither did penance of the works of their hands, that they worshipped not devils, and simulacra of gold, and of silver [and silver], and of brass, and of stone [and brass, and stone], and of tree, which neither be able to see [which neither may see], neither hear, neither wander;
21 and [they] did not penance of their manslayings, neither of their witchcrafts, neither of their fornication, neither of their thefts, were slain [neither of their fornication, neither of their thefts].
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2001 by Terence P. Noble