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.

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Footnotes

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

Tormenting Locusts from the Abyss

And the fifth angel blew the trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and the key of the shaft of the abyss was given to him. And he opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke went up from the shaft like smoke from a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. And out of the smoke locusts came to the earth, and power was given to them like the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was told to them that they should not damage the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, except those people who do not have the seal of God on their[a] foreheads. And it was granted to them that they should not kill them, but that they would be tormented five months, and their torment is like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. And in those days people will seek death and will never find it, and they will long to die, and death will flee from them.

And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were something like crowns similar in appearance to gold, and their faces were like men’s faces, and they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions, and they had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots[b] running into battle. 10 And they have tails similar in appearance to scorpions, and stings, and their power to injure people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name[c] in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12 The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 9:4 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  2. Revelation 9:9 Literally “chariots of horses”
  3. Revelation 9:11 Literally “the name to him”