Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A contemplation by Asaph.

¹⁰ The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day. ¹² The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

⁶ The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

⁷ The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. One third of the earth was burned up,^[a] and one third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded, and something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became blood, ⁹ and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of water. ¹¹ The name of the star is “Wormwood.” One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars, so that one third of them would be darkened; and the day wouldn’t shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way. ¹³ I saw, and I heard an eagle,^[b] flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the other blasts of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”

9 The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. ² He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a^[c] burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. ³ Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. ⁴ They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads. ⁵ They were given power, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person. ⁶ In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

⁷ The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces. ⁸ They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. ⁹ They had breastplates like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses rushing to war. ¹⁰ They have tails like those of scorpions, with stingers. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. ¹¹ They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”,^[d] but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”.^[e]

¹² The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.