1 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*1 burning furnace. The sun and the air
were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke
came forth 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 chariots, or of many horses rushing to war. 10 They have
tails like those of scorpions, and stings. 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,"*2 but in Greek,
he has the name "Apollyon."*3
12 The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after
this.
13 The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden
altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had one
trumpet, "Free the four angels who are bound at the great river
Euphrates!"
15 The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day
and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. 16 The
number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred
million*4 . I heard the
number of them. 17 Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat
on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow;
and the heads of lions. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.
18 By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire,
the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19 For the
power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For their tails
are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm. 20 The rest of
mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn't repent of the works
of their hands, that they wouldn't worship demons, and the idols of gold, and
of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see,
nor hear, nor walk. 21 They didn't repent of their murders, nor of their
sorceries,*5 nor of their sexual immorality, nor of
their thefts.
1 TR adds "great" 2 "Abaddon" is a Hebrew word
that means ruin, destruction, or the place of destruction 3 "Apollyon" means "Destroyer." 4 literally, "ten thousands of ten thousands" 5 The word for "sorceries" (pharmakeia) also implies the use
of potions, poisons, and drugs
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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