Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
9 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] 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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] 6 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.
7 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. 8 They[ab] had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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.
The Angel with the Little Scroll
10 Then[bh] I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped[bi] in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire.[bj] 2 He held[bk] in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. 3 Then[bl] he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. 4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but[bm] just then[bn] I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down.” 5 Then[bo] the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will be no more delay![bp] 7 But in the days[bq] when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed,[br] just as he has[bs] proclaimed to his servants[bt] the prophets.” 8 Then[bu] the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak[bv] to me[bw] again,[bx] “Go and take the open[by] scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So[bz] I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He[ca] said to me, “Take the scroll[cb] and eat it. It[cc] will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10 So[cd] I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it did taste[ce] as sweet as honey in my mouth, but[cf] when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. 11 Then[cg] they[ch] told me: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations,[ci] languages, and kings.”
The Fate of the Two Witnesses
11 Then[cj] a measuring rod[ck] like a staff was given to me, and I was told,[cl] “Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there. 2 But[cm] do not measure the outer courtyard[cn] of the temple; leave it out,[co] because it has been given to the Gentiles,[cp] and they will trample on the holy city[cq] for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority[cr] to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.” 4 (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.)[cs] 5 If[ct] anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths[cu] and completely consumes[cv] their enemies. If[cw] anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way. 6 These two have the power[cx] to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time[cy] they are prophesying. They[cz] have power[da] to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want. 7 When[db] they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer[dc] them and kill them. 8 Their[dd] corpses will lie in the street[de] of the great city that is symbolically[df] called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. 9 For three and a half days those from every[dg] people, tribe,[dh] nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb.[di] 10 And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But[dj] after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized[dk] those who were watching them. 12 Then[dl] they[dm] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets[dn] went up to heaven in a cloud while[do] their enemies stared at them. 13 Just then[dp] a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people[dq] were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has come and gone;[dr] the third is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then[ds] the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying:
“The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord
and of his Christ,[dt]
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
16 Then[du] the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground[dv] and worshiped God 17 with these words:[dw]
“We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful,[dx]
the one who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.[dy]
18 The[dz] nations[ea] were enraged,
but[eb] your wrath has come,
and the time has come for the dead to be judged,
and the time has come to give to your servants,[ec]
the prophets, their reward,
as well as to the saints
and to those who revere[ed] your name, both small and great,
and the time has come[ee] to destroy those who destroy[ef] the earth.”
19 Then[eg] the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring,[eh] crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.[ei]
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