Revelation 9:1-12

New International Version

9 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.^(A) The star was given the key^(B) to the shaft of the Abyss.^(C) ²When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.^(D) The sun and sky were darkened^(E) by the smoke from the Abyss.^(F) ³And out of the smoke locusts^(G) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions^(H) of the earth. ⁴They were told not to harm^(I) the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,^(J) but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.^(K) ⁵They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.^(L) And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion^(M) when it strikes. ⁶During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.^(N)

⁷The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.^(O) On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.^(P) ⁸Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.^(Q) ⁹They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.^(R) ¹⁰They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.^(S) ¹¹They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,^(T) whose name in Hebrew^(U) is Abaddon^(V) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

¹²The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.^(W)

Read full chapter

Revelation 9:1-12

Common English Bible

The fifth and sixth trumpet plagues

9 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. ²He opened the shaft of the abyss; and smoke rose up from the shaft, like smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. ³Then locusts came forth from the smoke and onto the earth. They were given power like the power that scorpions have on the earth. ⁴They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree. They could only hurt the people who didn’t have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵The locusts weren’t allowed to kill them, but only to make them suffer for five months—and the suffering they inflict is like that of a scorpion when it strikes a person. ⁶In those days people will seek death, but they won’t find it. They will want to die, but death will run away from them.

⁷The locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads were what seemed to be gold crowns. Their faces were like human faces, ⁸their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. ⁹In front they had what seemed to be iron armor upon their chests, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses racing into battle. ¹⁰They also have tails with stingers, just like scorpions; and in their tails is their power to hurt people for five months. ¹¹Their king is an angel from the abyss, whose Hebrew name is Abaddon,^[a] and whose Greek name is Apollyon.^[b]