Rev 9 | NHJ | STEP | 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.

‏ Revelation of John 9

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 shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the shaft, like the smoke from a great ^{▼▼M reads "a burning furnace" instead of "a great furnace"} 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 do not 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 is their ^{▼▼M TR read "they have" instead of "is their"} 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," ^{▼▼"Abaddon" is a Hebrew word that means ruin, destruction, or the place of destruction} and in Greek, he has the name "Apollyon." ^{▼▼"Apollyon" means "Destroyer"} 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 ^{▼▼M TR Ph add "four"} 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 this 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 ^{▼▼M reads "horse" instead of "horseman"} was two ^{▼▼M reads "one" (ten thousand ten thousand) instead of "two" (twenty thousand ten thousand)} hundred million ^{▼▼literally, "ten thousands of ten thousands"}. 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: from the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses ^{▼▼TR omits "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, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they would not 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 did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, ^{▼▼The word for "sorceries" (pharmakeia) also implies the use of potions, poisons, and drugs} nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.