The Fifth Trumpet: Shaft of the Abyss

Then the (A)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a (B)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the (C)key to the (D)shaft of the abyss was given to him. He opened the shaft of the abyss, and (E)smoke ascended out of the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace; and (F)the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the shaft. 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. They were told not to (I)hurt the (J)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the people 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 person. And in those days (N)people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death [e]will flee from them!

The [f](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 human faces. They had hair like the hair of women, and their (P)teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the (Q)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like (R)scorpions, and stings; and in their (S)tails is their power to hurt people for (T)five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the (U)abyss; his name in (V)Hebrew is [g](W)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name [h]Apollyon.

12 (X)The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

The Sixth Trumpet: Army from the East

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

20 The rest of 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, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they (AQ)did not repent of their murders, nor of their (AR)witchcraft, 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
  3. Revelation 9:5 Lit them
  4. Revelation 9:5 Lit strikes
  5. Revelation 9:6 Lit flees (intensive expression)
  6. Revelation 9:7 Lit likenesses
  7. Revelation 9:11 I.e., destruction
  8. Revelation 9:11 I.e., destroyer
  9. Revelation 9:13 Lit one voice
  10. Revelation 9:13 Two early mss do not contain four
  11. Revelation 9:17 I.e., burning sulfur
  12. Revelation 9:17 I.e., burning sulfur
  13. Revelation 9:18 I.e., burning sulfur

Then[a] the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky[b] to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss.[c] He[d] opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it[e] like smoke from a giant furnace. The[f] sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft. Then[g] out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power[h] like that of the scorpions of the earth. They[i] were told[j] not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people[k] who did not have the seal of God on their[l] forehead. The locusts[m] were not given permission[n] to kill[o] them, but only to torture[p] them[q] for five months, and their torture was like that[r] of a scorpion when it stings a person.[s] In[t] those days people[u] will seek death, but[v] will not be able to[w] find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

Now[x] the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On[y] their heads were something like crowns similar to gold,[z] and their faces looked like men’s[aa] faces. They[ab] had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates[ac] like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. 10 They have[ad] tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability[ae] to injure people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.[af]

12 The first woe has passed, but[ag] two woes are still coming after these things!

13 Then[ah] the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the[ai] horns on the golden altar that is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one holding[aj] the trumpet, “Set free[ak] the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15 Then[al] the four angels who had been prepared for this[am] hour, day,[an] month, and year were set free to kill[ao] a third of humanity. 16 The[ap] number of soldiers on horseback was 200,000,000;[aq] I heard their number. 17 Now[ar] this is what the horses and their riders[as] looked like in my[at] vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red,[au] dark blue,[av] and sulfurous[aw] yellow in color.[ax] The[ay] heads of the horses looked like lions’ heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur[az] came out of their mouths. 18 A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is,[ba] by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power[bb] of the horses resides[bc] in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. 20 The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made[bd] of gold, silver,[be] bronze, stone, and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. 21 Furthermore,[bf] they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells,[bg] of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 9:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  2. Revelation 9:1 tn Or “from heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
  3. Revelation 9:1 tn On this term BDAG 2 s.v. ἄβυσσος 2 states, “netherworld, abyss, esp. the abode of the dead Ro 10:7 (Ps 106:26) and of demons Lk 8:31; dungeon where the devil is kept Rv 20:3; abode of the θηρίον, the Antichrist 11:7; 17:8; of ᾿Αβαδδών (q.v.), the angel of the underworld 9:11φρέαρ τῆς ἀ. 9:1f; capable of being sealed 9:1; 20:1, 3.”
  4. Revelation 9:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  5. Revelation 9:2 tn Grk “the shaft,” but since this would be somewhat redundant in English, the pronoun “it” is used here.
  6. Revelation 9:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  7. Revelation 9:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  8. Revelation 9:3 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
  9. Revelation 9:4 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  10. Revelation 9:4 tn The dative indirect object (αὐταῖς, autais) was converted into the subject (“they”) as this more closely approximates English usage. The following ἵ῞να (hina) is taken as substantival, introducing a direct object clause. In this case, because it is reported speech, the ἵνα is similar to the declarative ὅτι (hoti).
  11. Revelation 9:4 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.
  12. Revelation 9:4 tn The article τῶν (tōn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).
  13. Revelation 9:5 tn Grk “It was not permitted to them”; the referent (the locusts) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  14. Revelation 9:5 tn The word “permission” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  15. Revelation 9:5 tn The two ἵνα (hina) clauses of 9:5 are understood to be functioning as epexegetical or complementary clauses related to ἐδόθη (edothē).
  16. Revelation 9:5 tn On this term BDAG 168 s.v. βασανισμός states, “1. infliction of severe suffering or pain associated with torture or torment, tormenting, torture Rv 9:5b.—2. the severe pain experienced through torture, torment vs. 5a; 14:11; 18:10, 15; (w. πένθος) vs. 7.”
  17. Revelation 9:5 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text but is picked up from the previous clause.
  18. Revelation 9:5 tn Grk “like the torture,” but this is redundant in contemporary English.
  19. Revelation 9:5 tn Grk “a man”; but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in an individualized sense without being limited to the male gender.
  20. Revelation 9:6 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  21. Revelation 9:6 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.
  22. Revelation 9:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  23. Revelation 9:6 tn The phrase “not be able to” was used in the translation to emphasize the strong negation (οὐ μή, ou mē) in the Greek text.
  24. Revelation 9:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of the description of the locusts, which is somewhat parenthetical in the narrative.
  25. Revelation 9:7 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  26. Revelation 9:7 tn The translation attempts to bring out the double uncertainty in this clause in the Greek text, involving both the form (ὡς στέφανοι, hōs stephanoi, “like crowns”) and the material (ὅμοιοι χρυσῷ, homoioi chrusō, “similar to gold”).
  27. Revelation 9:7 tn Or “human faces.” The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is often used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women. However, because “women’s hair” in the next clause suggests a possible gender distinction here, “men’s” was retained.
  28. Revelation 9:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  29. Revelation 9:9 tn Or perhaps, “scales like iron breastplates” (RSV, NRSV) although the Greek term θώραξ (thōrax) would have to shift its meaning within the clause, and elsewhere in biblical usage (e.g., Eph 6:14; 1 Thess 5:8) it normally means “breastplate.” See also L&N 8.38.
  30. Revelation 9:10 tn In the Greek text there is a shift to the present tense here; the previous verbs translated “had” are imperfects.
  31. Revelation 9:10 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
  32. Revelation 9:11 sn Both the Hebrew Abaddon and the Greek Apollyon mean “Destroyer.”
  33. Revelation 9:12 tn Grk “behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
  34. Revelation 9:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  35. Revelation 9:13 tc ‡ Several key mss (P47 א1 A 0207 1611 2053 2344 lat syh co) lack the word τεσσάρων (tessarōn, “four”) before κεράτων (keratōn, “horns”). The word seems to have been added by scribes because a “horned” altar (described in the OT [Exod 30:2, 10]) could have only four “horns” or projections at the corners. NA28 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
  36. Revelation 9:14 tn Grk “having.”
  37. Revelation 9:14 tn On λῦσον (luson) BDAG 606-7 s.v. λύω 2 states, “set free, loose, untie—a. lit. a pers., animal, or thing that is bound or tied…Angels that are bound Rv 9:14f.”
  38. Revelation 9:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  39. Revelation 9:15 tn The Greek article τήν (tēn) has been translated with demonstrative force here.
  40. Revelation 9:15 tn The Greek term καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following term “month” since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  41. Revelation 9:15 tn Grk “so that they might kill,” but the English infinitive is an equivalent construction to indicate purpose here.
  42. Revelation 9:16 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  43. Revelation 9:16 tn Grk “twenty thousand of ten thousands.”
  44. Revelation 9:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of the description of the horses and riders, which is somewhat parenthetical in the narrative.
  45. Revelation 9:17 tn Grk “and those seated on them.”
  46. Revelation 9:17 tn Grk “the vision”; the Greek article has been translated as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
  47. Revelation 9:17 tn L&N 79.33 states, “‘fiery red’…. One may also render ‘fiery red’ as ‘red like fire’ or ‘the color of fire.’”
  48. Revelation 9:17 tn On this term BDAG 1022 s.v. ὑακίνθινος states, “hyacinth-colored, i.e., dark blue (dark red?) w. πύρινος Rv 9:17.”
  49. Revelation 9:17 tn On this term BDAG 446 s.v. θειώδης states, “sulphurous Rv 9:17.”
  50. Revelation 9:17 sn The colors of the riders’ breastplates parallel the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur in v. 18.
  51. Revelation 9:17 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  52. Revelation 9:17 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
  53. Revelation 9:18 tn The phrase ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τοῦ καπνοῦ καὶ τοῦ θείου τοῦ ἐκπορευομένου ἐκ τῶν στομάτων αὐτῶν (“by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths”) is taken as epexegetical (explanatory) to the phrase τῶν τριῶν πληγῶν τούτων (“these three plagues”).
  54. Revelation 9:19 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
  55. Revelation 9:19 tn Grk “is.”
  56. Revelation 9:20 tn The word “made” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
  57. Revelation 9:20 tn The Greek conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following materials in this list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  58. Revelation 9:21 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation, with “furthermore” used to indicate a continuation of the preceding.
  59. Revelation 9:21 tn On the term φαρμακεία (pharmakeia, “magic spells”) see L&N 53.100: “the use of magic, often involving drugs and the casting of spells upon people—‘to practice magic, to cast spells upon, to engage in sorcery, magic, sorcery.’ φαρμακεία: ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘with your magic spells you deceived all the peoples (of the world)’ Re 18:23.”

The Fifth Trumpet Brings the First Terror

Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.[a] When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.

Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting. In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!

The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads, and their faces looked like human faces. They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like the teeth of a lion. They wore armor made of iron, and their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment people. 11 Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer.

12 The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!

The Sixth Trumpet Brings the Second Terror

13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. 14 And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.” 15 Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. 16 I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops.

17 And in my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. 18 One-third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues—by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. 19 Their power was in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people.

20 But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Or the abyss, or the underworld; also in 9:11.

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and (A)I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given (B)the key to the shaft of (C)the bottomless pit.[a] He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft (D)rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and (E)the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came (F)locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told (G)not to harm (H)the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have (I)the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them (J)for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days (K)people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

(L)In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: (M)on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were (N)like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and (O)their teeth like lions' teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was (P)like the noise of many chariots with (Q)horses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people (R)for five months is in their tails. 11 They have (S)as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is (T)Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.[b]

12 (U)The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.

13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from (V)the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release (W)the four angels who are bound at (X)the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released (Y)to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of (Z)mounted troops was (AA)twice ten thousand times ten thousand; (AB)I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire[c] and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were (AC)like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming 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 with heads, and by means of them they wound.

20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, (AD)did not repent of (AE)the works of their hands nor give up worshiping (AF)demons (AG)and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their (AH)sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 9:1 Greek the abyss; also verses 2, 11
  2. Revelation 9:11 Abaddon means destruction; Apollyon means destroyer
  3. Revelation 9:17 Greek hyacinth

The Fifth Trumpet

The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth.(A) The key for the shaft to the abyss(B) was given to him. He opened the shaft to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great[a] furnace(C) so that the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.(D) Then locusts came out of the smoke on to the earth,(E) and power[b] was given to them(F) like the power that scorpions have on the earth.(G) They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree,(H) but only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads.(I) They were not permitted to kill them but were to torment them for five months; their torment is like the torment caused by a scorpion when it stings someone. In those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.(J)

The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle.(K) Something like golden crowns was on their heads; their faces were like human faces; they had hair like women’s hair; their teeth were like lions’ teeth;(L) they had chests like iron breastplates; the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots with horses rushing into battle; 10 and they had tails with stingers like scorpions, so that with their tails they had the power to harm people for five months. 11 They had as their king[c] the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon,[d](M) and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.[e]

12 The first woe has passed. There are still two more woes to come after this.(N)

The Sixth Trumpet

13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet. From the four[f] horns of the golden altar(O) that is before God, I heard a voice 14 say to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels(P) bound at the great river Euphrates.’(Q) 15 So the four angels who were prepared for the hour, day, month, and year(R) were released to kill a third(S) of the human race. 16 The number of mounted troops was two hundred million;[g] I heard their number. 17 This is how I saw the horses and their riders in the vision: They had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulphur yellow. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and from their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulphur.(T) 18 A third of the human race was killed by these three plagues – by the fire, the smoke, and the sulphur that came from their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails, which resemble snakes, have heads that inflict injury.

20 The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands(U) to stop worshipping demons(V) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood,(W) which cannot see, hear, or walk.(X) 21 And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

Footnotes

  1. 9:2 Other mss omit great
  2. 9:3 Or authority, also in v. 10
  3. 9:11 Or as king over them
  4. 9:11 Or Destruction
  5. 9:11 Or Destroyer
  6. 9:13 Other mss omit four
  7. 9:16 Other mss read a hundred million