Revelation 9-12
New King James Version
Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit
9 Then the fifth angel sounded: (A)And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to (B)the [a]bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the (C)sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, (D)as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded (E)not to harm (F)the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have (G)the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [b]they were not given authority to kill them, (H)but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days (I)men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
7 (J)The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. (K)On their heads were crowns of something like gold, (L)and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and (M)their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was (N)like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them (O)the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is [c]Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name [d]Apollyon.
12 (P)One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates
13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the (Q)golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound (R)at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a (S)third of mankind. 16 Now (T)the number of the army (U)of the horsemen was two hundred million; (V)I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; (W)and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For [e]their power is in their mouth and in their tails; (X)for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, (Y)did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship (Z)demons, (AA)and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders (AB)or their [f]sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
The Mighty Angel with the Little Book
10 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. (AC)And a rainbow was on (AD)his head, his face was like the sun, and (AE)his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book open in his hand. (AF)And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, (AG)seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders [g]uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying [h]to me, (AH)“Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land (AI)raised up his [i]hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, (AJ)who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, (AK)that there should be delay no longer, 7 but (AL)in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
John Eats the Little Book
8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.”
9 So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.”
And he said to me, (AM)“Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
10 Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, (AN)and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, (AO)my stomach became bitter. 11 And [j]he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”
The Two Witnesses
11 Then I was given (AP)a reed like a measuring rod. [k]And the angel stood, saying, (AQ)“Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out (AR)the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, (AS)for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will (AT)tread the holy city underfoot for (AU)forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two (AV)witnesses, (AW)and they will prophesy (AX)one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the (AY)two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the [l]God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, (AZ)fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. (BA)And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These (BB)have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
The Witnesses Killed
7 When they (BC)finish their testimony, (BD)the beast that ascends (BE)out of the bottomless pit (BF)will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of (BG)the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, (BH)where also [m]our Lord was crucified. 9 (BI)Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations [n]will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, (BJ)and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 (BK)And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, (BL)and send gifts to one another, (BM)because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11 (BN)Now after the three-and-a-half days (BO)the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And [o]they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” (BP)And they ascended to heaven (BQ)in a cloud, (BR)and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour (BS)there was a great earthquake, (BT)and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid (BU)and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 (BV)The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed
15 Then (BW)the seventh angel sounded: (BX)And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, (BY)“The [p]kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, (BZ)and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And (CA)the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and (CB)worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One (CC)who is and who was [q]and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power (CD)and reigned.
18 The nations were (CE)angry, and Your [r]wrath has come,
And the time of the (CF)dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then (CG)the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of [s]His covenant was seen in His temple. And (CH)there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, (CI)and great hail.
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
12 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out (CJ)in labor and in pain to give birth.
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, (CK)a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 (CL)His tail drew a third (CM)of the stars of heaven (CN)and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood (CO)before the woman who was ready to give birth, (CP)to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child (CQ)who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was (CR)caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then (CS)the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there (CT)one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Satan Thrown Out of Heaven
7 And war broke out in heaven: (CU)Michael and his angels fought (CV)with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they [t]did not prevail, nor was a place found for [u]them in heaven any longer. 9 So (CW)the great dragon was cast out, (CX)that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, (CY)who deceives the whole world; (CZ)he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, (DA)“Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, (DB)who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And (DC)they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, (DD)and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore (DE)rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! (DF)Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, (DG)because he knows that he has a short time.”
The Woman Persecuted
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted (DH)the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 (DI)But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, (DJ)that she might fly (DK)into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished (DL)for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent (DM)spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus [v]Christ.
Footnotes
- Revelation 9:1 Lit. shaft of the abyss
- Revelation 9:5 The locusts
- Revelation 9:11 Lit. Destruction
- Revelation 9:11 Lit. Destroyer
- Revelation 9:19 NU, M the power of the horses
- Revelation 9:21 NU, M drugs
- Revelation 10:4 NU, M sounded,
- Revelation 10:4 NU, M omit to me
- Revelation 10:5 NU, M right hand
- Revelation 10:11 NU, M they
- Revelation 11:1 NU, M omit And the angel stood
- Revelation 11:4 NU, M Lord
- Revelation 11:8 NU, M their
- Revelation 11:9 NU, M see . . . and will not allow
- Revelation 11:12 M I
- Revelation 11:15 NU, M kingdom . . . has become the kingdom
- Revelation 11:17 NU, M omit and who is to come
- Revelation 11:18 anger
- Revelation 11:19 M the covenant of the Lord
- Revelation 12:8 were not strong enough
- Revelation 12:8 M him
- Revelation 12:17 NU, M omit Christ
Revelation 9-12
English Standard Version
9 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] 2 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. 3 Then from the smoke came (F)locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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.
7 (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, 8 their hair like women's hair, and (O)their teeth like lions' teeth; 9 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.
The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with (AI)a rainbow over his head, and (AJ)his face was like the sun, and (AK)his legs like pillars of fire. 2 (AL)He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, (AM)like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, (AN)“Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land (AO)raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by (AP)him who lives forever and ever, (AQ)who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that (AR)in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, (AS)just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, (AT)“Take and (AU)eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, (AV)“You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
The Two Witnesses
11 Then I was given (AW)a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure (AX)the court outside the temple; leave that out, for (AY)it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for (AZ)forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for (BA)1,260 days, (BB)clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are (BC)the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, (BD)fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, (BE)this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power (BF)to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and (BG)to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, (BH)the beast that rises from (BI)the bottomless pit[d] (BJ)will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically[e] is called (BK)Sodom and (BL)Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and (BM)refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and (BN)those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and (BO)exchange presents, because these two prophets (BP)had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days (BQ)a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, (BR)“Come up here!” And (BS)they went up to heaven (BT)in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was (BU)a great earthquake, and (BV)a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and (BW)gave glory to (BX)the God of heaven.
14 (BY)The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then (BZ)the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and (CA)there were loud voices in heaven, saying, (CB)“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of (CC)his Christ, and (CD)he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders (CE)who sit on their thrones before God (CF)fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
(CG)who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and (CH)begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
but (CI)your wrath came,
and (CJ)the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and (CK)those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and (CL)for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
19 Then (CM)God's temple in heaven was opened, and (CN)the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,[f] peals of thunder, an earthquake, and (CO)heavy hail.
The Woman and the Dragon
12 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (CP)clothed with (CQ)the sun, with (CR)the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and (CS)was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great (CT)red dragon, (CU)with seven heads and (CV)ten horns, and on his heads (CW)seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down (CX)a third of the stars of heaven and (CY)cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child (CZ)he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, (DA)one who is to rule[g] all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was (DB)caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for (DC)1,260 days.
Satan Thrown Down to Earth
7 Now war arose in heaven, (DD)Michael and (DE)his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And (DF)the great dragon was thrown down, (DG)that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, (DH)the deceiver of the whole world—(DI)he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now (DJ)the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers[h] has been thrown down, (DK)who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And (DL)they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for (DM)they loved not their lives (DN)even unto death. 12 Therefore, (DO)rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But (DP)woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because (DQ)he knows that his time is short!”
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued (DR)the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two (DS)wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent (DT)into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished (DU)for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water (DV)like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off (DW)to make war on the rest of (DX)her offspring, (DY)on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to (DZ)the testimony of Jesus. And he stood[i] on the sand of the sea.
Footnotes
- Revelation 9:1 Greek the abyss; also verses 2, 11
- Revelation 9:11 Abaddon means destruction; Apollyon means destroyer
- Revelation 9:17 Greek hyacinth
- Revelation 11:7 Or the abyss
- Revelation 11:8 Greek spiritually
- Revelation 11:19 Or voices, or sounds
- Revelation 12:5 Greek shepherd
- Revelation 12:10 Or brothers and sisters
- Revelation 12:17 Some manuscripts And I stood, connecting the sentence with 13:1
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.