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Revelation 9-12
Contemporary English Version
Revelation 9-12
Contemporary English Version
9 When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star[a] fall from the sky to earth. It was given the key to the tunnel that leads down to the deep pit. 2 (A) As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke. 3 (B) Locusts[b] came out of the smoke and covered the earth. They were given the same power that scorpions have.
4 (C) The locusts were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or any tree. They were to punish only those people who did not have God's mark on their foreheads. 5 The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion. 6 (D) In those days people will want to die, but they will not be able to. They will hope for death, but it will escape from them.
7 (E) These locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads they wore something like gold crowns, and they had human faces. 8 (F) Their hair was like a woman's long hair, and their teeth were like those of a lion. 9 (G) On their chests they wore armor made of iron. Their wings roared like an army of horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. 10 Their tails were like a scorpion's tail with a stinger that had the power to hurt someone for five months. 11 Their king was the angel in charge of the deep pit. In Hebrew his name was Abaddon, and in Greek it was Apollyon.[c]
12 The first horrible thing has now happened! But wait. Two more horrible things will happen soon.
13 (H) Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice speak from the four corners of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. 14 The voice spoke to this angel and said, “Release the four angels who are tied up beside the great Euphrates River.” 15 The four angels had been prepared for this very hour and day and month and year. Now they were set free to kill a third of all people.
16 By listening, I could tell there were more than 200,000,000 war horses. 17 (I) In my vision their riders wore fiery-red, dark-blue, and yellow armor on their chests. The heads of the horses looked like lions, with fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 18 One third of all people were killed by the three terrible troubles caused by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur. 19 The horses had powerful mouths, and their tails were like poisonous snakes that bite and hurt.
20 (J) The people who lived through these terrible troubles did not turn away from the idols they had made, and they did not stop worshiping demons. They kept on worshiping idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. Not one of these idols could see, hear, or walk. 21 No one stopped murdering or practicing witchcraft or being immoral or stealing.
The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 I saw another powerful angel come down from heaven. This one was covered with a cloud, and a rainbow was over his head. His face was like the sun, his legs were like columns of fire, 2 and with his hand he held a little scroll[d] that had been unrolled. He stood there with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3 Then he shouted with a voice that sounded like a growling lion. Thunder roared seven times.
4 After the thunder stopped, I was about to write what it had said. But a voice from heaven shouted, “Keep it secret! Don't write these things.”
5 (K) The angel I had seen standing on the sea and the land then held his right hand up toward heaven. 6 He made a promise in the name of God who lives forever and who created heaven, earth, the sea, and every living creature. The angel said, “You won't have to wait any longer. 7 God told his secret plans to his servants the prophets, and it will all happen by the time the seventh angel sounds his trumpet.”
8 (L) Once again the voice from heaven spoke to me. It said, “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel standing on the sea and the land.”
9 When I went over to ask the angel for the little scroll, the angel said, “Take the scroll and eat it! Your stomach will turn sour, but the taste in your mouth will be sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. The taste was sweet as honey, but my stomach turned sour.
11 Then some voices said, “Keep on telling what will happen to the people of many nations, races, and languages, and also to kings.”
The Two Witnesses
11 (M) An angel gave me a measuring stick and said:
Measure around God's temple. Be sure to include the altar and everyone worshiping there. 2 (N) But don't measure the courtyard outside the temple building. Leave it out. It has been given to those people who don't know God, and they will trample all over the holy city for 42 months. 3 My two witnesses will wear sackcloth,[e] while I let them preach for 1,260 days.
4 (O) These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in the presence of the Lord who rules the earth. 5 Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouths. 6 (P) They have the power to lock up the sky and to keep rain from falling while they are prophesying. And whenever they want to, they can turn water to blood and cause all kinds of terrible troubles on earth.
7 (Q) After the two witnesses have finished preaching God's message, the beast that lives in the deep pit will come up and fight against them. It will win the battle and kill them. 8 (R) Their bodies will be left lying in the streets of the same great city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. And this city is spiritually like the city of Sodom or the country of Egypt.
9 For three and a half days the people of every nation, tribe, language, and race will stare at the bodies of these two witnesses and refuse to let them be buried. 10 Everyone on earth will celebrate and be happy. They will give gifts to each other, because of what happened to the two prophets who caused them so much trouble. 11 (S) But three and a half days later, God will breathe life into their bodies. They will stand up, and everyone who sees them will be terrified.
12 (T) The witnesses then heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, “Come up here.” And while their enemies were watching, they were taken up to heaven in a cloud. 13 (U) At that same moment there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were frightened and praised the God who rules in heaven.
14 The second horrible thing has now happened! And the third one will be here soon.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 (V) At the sound of the seventh trumpet, loud voices were heard in heaven. They said,
“Now the kingdom
of this world
belongs to our Lord
and to his Chosen One!
And he will rule
forever and ever!”
16 Then the 24 elders, who were seated on thrones in God's presence, knelt down and worshiped him. 17 They said,
“Lord God All-Powerful,
you are and you were,
and we thank you.
You used your great power
and started ruling.
18 (W) When the nations got angry,
you became angry too!
Now the time has come
for the dead
to be judged.
It is time for you to reward
your servants the prophets
and all your people
who honor your name,
no matter who they are.
It is time to destroy everyone
who has destroyed
the earth.”
19 (X) The door to God's temple in heaven was then opened, and the sacred chest[f] could be seen inside the temple. I saw lightning and heard roars of thunder. The earth trembled and huge hailstones fell to the ground.
The Woman and the Dragon
12 Something important appeared in the sky. It was a woman whose clothes were the sun. The moon was under her feet, and a crown made of twelve stars was on her head. 2 She was about to give birth, and she was crying because of the great pain.
3 (Y) Something else appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and a crown on each of its seven heads. 4 (Z) With its tail, it dragged a third of the stars from the sky and threw them down to the earth. Then the dragon turned toward the woman, because it wanted to eat her child as soon as it was born.
5 (AA) The woman gave birth to a son, who would rule all nations with an iron rod. The boy was snatched away. He was taken to God and placed on his throne. 6 The woman ran into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Michael Fights the Dragon
7 (AB) A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels. 8 But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven 9 (AC) and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan. 10 (AD) Then I heard a voice from heaven shout,
“Our God has shown
his saving power,
and his kingdom has come!
God's own Chosen One
has shown his authority.
Satan accused our people
in the presence of God
day and night.
Now he has been thrown out!
11 “Our people defeated Satan
because of the blood[g]
of the Lamb
and the message of God.
They were willing
to give up their lives.
12 “The heavens should rejoice,
together with everyone
who lives there.
But pity the earth
and the sea,
because the devil
was thrown down
to the earth.
He knows his time is short,
and he is very angry.”
13 When the dragon realized it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. 14 (AE) But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time.
15 The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. 16 But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. 17 This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught. 18 The dragon[h] stood on the beach beside the sea.
Footnotes
- 9.1 star: In the ancient world, stars were often thought of as living beings, such as angels.
- 9.3 Locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to crops.
- 9.11 Abaddon … Apollyon: The Hebrew word “Abaddon” and the Greek word “Apollyon” each mean “destruction.”
- 10.2 scroll: See the note at 5.1.
- 11.3 sackcloth: See the note at 6.12.
- 11.19 sacred chest: In Old Testament times the sacred chest was kept in the tent used for worship. It was the symbol of God's presence with his people and also of his agreement with them.
- 12.11 blood: Or “death.”
- 12.18 The dragon: The text has “he,” and some manuscripts have “I.”
Revelation 9-12
New International Version
Revelation 9-12
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) 2 When 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) 3 And out of the smoke locusts(G) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions(H) of the earth. 4 They 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) 5 They 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. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.(N)
7 The 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) 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth.(Q) 9 They 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) 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.(S) 11 They 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).
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.(W)
13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns(X) of the golden altar that is before God.(Y) 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels(Z) who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”(AA) 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released(AB) to kill a third(AC) of mankind.(AD) 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.(AE)
17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths(AF) came fire, smoke and sulfur.(AG) 18 A third(AH) of mankind was killed(AI) by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur(AJ) that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent(AK) of the work of their hands;(AL) they did not stop worshiping demons,(AM) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.(AN) 21 Nor did they repent(AO) of their murders, their magic arts,(AP) their sexual immorality(AQ) or their thefts.
The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel(AR) coming down from heaven.(AS) He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow(AT) above his head; his face was like the sun,(AU) and his legs were like fiery pillars.(AV) 2 He was holding a little scroll,(AW) which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,(AX) 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.(AY) When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders(AZ) spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write;(BA) but I heard a voice from heaven(BB) say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”(BC)
5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land(BD) raised his right hand to heaven.(BE) 6 And he swore(BF) by him who lives for ever and ever,(BG) who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,(BH) and said, “There will be no more delay!(BI) 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet,(BJ) the mystery(BK) of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”(BL)
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven(BM) spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll(BN) that lies 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 asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]”(BO) 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,(BP) but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy(BQ) again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”(BR)
The Two Witnesses
11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod(BS) and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court;(BT) do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.(BU) They will trample on the holy city(BV) for 42 months.(BW) 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses,(BX) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,(BY) clothed in sackcloth.”(BZ) 4 They are “the two olive trees”(CA) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[b](CB) 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.(CC) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.(CD) 6 They have power to shut up the heavens(CE) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;(CF) and they have power to turn the waters into blood(CG) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast(CH) that comes up from the Abyss(CI) will attack them,(CJ) and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city(CK)—which is figuratively called Sodom(CL) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.(CM) 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation(CN) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.(CO) 10 The inhabitants of the earth(CP) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,(CQ) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days(CR) the breath[c] of life from God entered them,(CS) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”(CT) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,(CU) while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake(CV) and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory(CW) to the God of heaven.(CX)
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.(CY)
The Seventh Trumpet
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,(CZ) and there were loud voices(DA) in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,(DB)
and he will reign for ever and ever.”(DC)
16 And the twenty-four elders,(DD) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces(DE) and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give thanks(DF) to you, Lord God Almighty,(DG)
the One who is and who was,(DH)
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.(DI)
18 The nations were angry,(DJ)
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,(DK)
and for rewarding your servants the prophets(DL)
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small(DM)—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then God’s temple(DN) in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.(DO) And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,(DP) an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.(DQ)
The Woman and the Dragon
12 A great sign(DR) appeared in heaven:(DS) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars(DT) on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain(DU) as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven:(DV) an enormous red dragon(DW) with seven heads(DX) and ten horns(DY) and seven crowns(DZ) on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third(EA) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.(EB) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child(EC) the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[d](ED) And her child was snatched up(EE) to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.(EF)
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael(EG) and his angels fought against the dragon,(EH) and the dragon and his angels(EI) fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(EJ) called the devil,(EK) or Satan,(EL) who leads the whole world astray.(EM) He was hurled to the earth,(EN) and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven(EO) say:
“Now have come the salvation(EP) and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,(EQ)
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over(ER) him
by the blood of the Lamb(ES)
and by the word of their testimony;(ET)
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.(EU)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens(EV)
and you who dwell in them!
But woe(EW) to the earth and the sea,(EX)
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon(EY) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(EZ) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(FA) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(FB) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent(FC) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war(FD) against the rest of her offspring(FE)—those who keep God’s commands(FF) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.(FG)
Footnotes
- Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3
- Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
- Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
- Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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