Revelation 9
1 The fifth angel blew his trumpet. Then I saw [an evil angel. He was like] a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. He was given {[Someone] gave him} the key to the shaft [that descended] ([to] the underworld/[to] the deep dark pit). (Abyssos g12)
The fifth angel blew his trumpet. I watched a star fall from heaven to earth. He was given the key to the opening of the Abyss. (Abyssos g12)
2 When he opened that shaft, smoke arose from it like smoke from a huge burning furnace. The smoke prevented [anyone from seeing] the sky and the light of the sun. (Abyssos g12)
He opened the entrance to the Abyss, and smoke came up out of the Abyss like the smoke of a huge furnace. The sun and the atmosphere became dark because of the smoke from the Abyss. (Abyssos g12)
3 Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth. [They were given] {[God] gave them} power [to sting people], like scorpions [sting people].
Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth, and they were given power like that possessed by scorpions.
4 [God] told the locusts that they should not harm grass, nor any plants, nor any tree. [God said that they should harm only] those people who did not have a mark on the forehead [to show that they belonged to God].
They were told not to harm the grass or any vegetation or any trees, only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5 [God] did not allow the locusts to kill those people. Instead, [he] allowed them to continue torturing people for five months. When they tortured people, the pain those people felt was like the pain a scorpion causes when it stings someone.
They were not allowed to kill, but they could torture these people for five months. The torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings someone.
6 During the time [when the locusts torture rebellious people, the pain will be so bad that] people will want to find a way to die, but they will not be able to [PRS].
During that time people will look for death, but won't find it; they will want to die, but death will run away from them!
7 The locusts looked like horses that are ready for battle. They had on their heads what looked like golden crowns. Their faces were like the faces of people.
The locusts looked like war-horses. They wore what seemed to be golden crowns on their heads, and their faces looked human.
8 They had [long] hair like the [long] hair of women. Their teeth were [strong], like lions’ teeth.
They had long hair like women and had teeth like lions.
9 They wore metal breastplates. [When they were flying], their wings made a noise like the roar when many horses [pull chariots as they are] rushing into battle.
Their breastplates looked like they were made of iron, and the noise made by their wings sounded like many horses and chariots racing into battle.
10 They had tails like scorpions have. With their tails they stung [people] for five months.
They had tails like scorpions, complete with stingers. They had the power to hurt people for five months with their tails.
11 The king who ruled over them was the angel of the underworld. His name in the Hebrew language is Abaddon. In the Greek language it is Apollyon. [Both of] those names [mean ‘Destroyer’]. (Abyssos g12)
Ruling over them as their king was the angel of the Abyss who is called Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek. (Abyssos g12)
12 That was the end of the first terrible event. [Be aware that] two tragic events are still to come.
The first Disaster is over, but there are still two more to come.
13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet. Then I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar that is in God’s presence.
The sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice come from the horns of the golden altar that stands in front of God
14 It was saying to the sixth angel, the one who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels whom [I] have bound at the great river Euphrates!”
speaking to the sixth angel that had the trumpet: “Release the four angels that are tied up beside the great River Euphrates.”
15 The four angels were released, those who had been {[He] released the four angels, whom [God] had} kept ready for that [exact] hour of that day, of that month, of that year. They were released {[He] released them} in order that they might enable [their soldiers to] kill a third of the [rebellious] people.
The four angels who had been kept ready for this particular hour, day, month and year were released to kill one third of humanity.
16 The number of the soldiers riding on horses who did that was 200 million. I heard [someone say] how many there were.
I was told the number of the army of soldiers on horseback: it was 200 million.
17 In the vision I saw what the horses and the [beings] that rode them looked like. They [wore] breastplates that were [red] like fire, [dusky blue] like smoke, and [yellow] like sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions. From their mouths came fire, smoke, and [fumes of burning] sulfur.
In my vision I saw the horses and their riders who wore breastplates as red as fire, and dark blue and yellow. The heads of the horses looked like lions, and fire and smoke and sulfur streamed out of their mouths.
18 Those three things—the fire, the smoke, and the [burning] sulfur from [the horses’] mouths—killed a third of the [rebellious] people.
One third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and smoke and sulfur streaming out of their mouths.
19 The horses had power with their mouths and with their tails. Their tails have heads like snakes by which they harm people.
The horses' power was in their tails as well as their mouths, for their tails were like serpents' heads that they used to hurt people.
20 The rest of the [rebellious] people, those who were not killed by these plagues of [fire and smoke and burning sulfur], did not turn from their sinful behavior. [They did not stop worshipping] the idols that they had made with their own hands. They did not stop worshipping demons and idols [that were made] of gold, of silver, of bronze, of stone, and of wood, [even though they are idols] that can neither see nor hear nor walk.
But the rest of humanity who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of what they were doing. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, and stone—which can't see or hear or walk!
21 They did not stop murdering people, or practicing sorcery, or acting in sexually immoral ways, or stealing [things].
They did not repent of their murders, their witchcraft, their sexual sins, or their thefts.
