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)

Then the fifth angel blew; and I saw a Star that had fallen upon the earth from the heavens, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (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 bottomless pit, and from the pit rose a smoke like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air grew dark because of the smoke from the pit. (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].

Out of the smoke locusts descended upon the earth, and they received the same power as 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 plant, or any tree, but only those who have not ‘the seal of God upon 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.

Yet they were not allowed to kill them, but it was ordered that those men should be tortured for five months. Their torture was like the torture caused by a scorpion when it stings a man.

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].

In those days men ‘will seek Death and will not find it’; They will long to die, but Death flees 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.

In appearance the locusts were like horses equipped for battle. On their heads there were what appeared to be crowns that shone like gold, their faces resembled human faces,

8 They had [long] hair like the [long] hair of women. Their teeth were [strong], like lions’ teeth.

and they had hair like the hair of a woman, their teeth were like lions’ teeth,

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.

and they had what seemed to be iron breastplates, while the noise of their wings was like the noise of chariots drawn by many horses, galloping into battle.

10 They had tails like scorpions have. With their tails they stung [people] for five months.

They have tails like scorpions, and stings, and in their tails lies their power to harm men for five months.

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)

They have as their king the Angel of the bottomless pit, whose name, in Hebrew, is ‘Abaddon,’ while, in Greek, his name is ‘Apollyon’ (the Destroyer). (Abyssos g12)

12 That was the end of the first terrible event. [Be aware that] two tragic events are still to come.

The first Woe has passed; and still there are two Woes to follow!

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.

Then the sixth angel blew; and I heard a voice proceeding from the corners of the golden altar that stood before 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!”

It spoke to the sixth angel — the angel with the trumpet — and said ‘Let loose the four angels that are in chains at 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.

Then the four angels, that were held in readiness for that hour and day and month and year, were let loose, to destroy a third of mankind.

16 The number of the soldiers riding on horses who did that was 200 million. I heard [someone say] how many there were.

The number of the hosts of horsemen was ten thousand times ten thousand, twice told; I heard their number.

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.

And this is what the horses and their riders appeared to be like in my vision: — They had breastplates of fire, blood-red and sulphurous, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, while out of their mouths issue fire, and smoke, and sulphur.

18 Those three things—the fire, the smoke, and the [burning] sulfur from [the horses’] mouths—killed a third of the [rebellious] people.

Through these three Curses a third of mankind perished — because of the fire, and the smoke, and the sulphur that issued from 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.

for the power of the horses lies in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like snakes, with heads, and it is with them that they do harm.

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 those who were left of mankind, who had not perished through these Curses, did not repent and turn away from what their own hands had made; they would not abandon the worship of ‘demons, and of idols made of gold or silver or brass or stone or wood, which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk’;

21 They did not stop murdering people, or practicing sorcery, or acting in sexually immoral ways, or stealing [things].

and they did not repent of their murders, or their sorceries, or their licentiousness, or their thefts.