Revelation 9
New Testament for Everyone
Locust attack
9 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet. I saw a star falling from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the shaft which leads down to the Abyss. 2 The shaft of the Abyss was opened, and smoke came out of the pit like the smoke from a great furnace. The sun and the air became dark with the smoke from the pit. 3 Then, out of that smoke, there appeared locusts on the earth, and they were given authority like the authority of scorpions on the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass on the earth, nor any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were given instructions not to kill them, but to torture them for five months, and their torture was like the torture inflicted by the sting of a scorpion. 6 In those days people will look for death, and won’t find it. They will long to die, and death will run away from them.
7 In appearance, the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what seemed to be crowns of gold on their heads, and their faces were like human faces. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions’ tails, and stings as well, and their tails have the power to harm people for five months. 11 They have as their king the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and whose name in Greek is Apollyon.
12 The first Woe has come and gone. The next two Woes are on the way after this.
The fiery riders
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a lone voice from the four horns of the golden altar in God’s presence, 14 addressing the sixth angel, who had the trumpet.
“Release the four angels,” said the voice, “the ones who are tied up by the Great River, the Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels were released. They had been prepared for this hour, day, month and year, so that they would kill a third of the human race. 16 The number of the troops and horsemen was two hundred million. (I heard the number.) 17 As I looked, this is how the horses and their riders appeared. They had breastplates made of fire, sapphire and sulfur. Their heads were like lions’ heads, and fire, smoke and brimstone came out of their mouths. 18 One-third of the human race was killed by these three plagues, by the fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses, you see, is in their mouths and their tails, since their tails are like serpents with heads. That is how they do their damage.
20 All the other people, the ones who had not been killed in these plagues, did not repent of the things they had made. They did not stop worshiping demons—idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which cannot see, hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, or their magic, or their fornication, or their stealing.
Revelation 9
Legacy Standard Bible
9 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 And in those days (N)men will seek death and will never find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7 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. 8 And they had hair like the hair of women, and their (P)teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 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
- Revelation 9:3 Lit into
- Revelation 9:5 Lit it was given to them that they might not kill them
- Revelation 9:5 Lit them
- Revelation 9:5 Lit strikes
- Revelation 9:7 Lit likenesses
- Revelation 9:11 Destruction
- Revelation 9:11 Destroyer
- Revelation 9:13 Lit one voice
- Revelation 9:13 Two early mss omit four
- Revelation 9:15 Gr anthropoi
- Revelation 9:17 Lit thus I saw
- Revelation 9:17 Burning sulfur
- Revelation 9:17 Burning sulfur
- Revelation 9:18 Gr anthropoi
- Revelation 9:18 Burning sulfur
- Revelation 9:20 Gr anthropoi
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.