Tormenting Locusts from the Abyss

9 And the fifth angel blew the trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and the key of the shaft of the abyss was given to him. 2 And he opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke went up from the shaft like smoke from a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came to the earth, and power was given to them like the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was told to them that they should not damage the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, except those people who do not have the seal of God on their* foreheads. 5 And it was granted to them that they should not kill them, but that they would be tormented five months, and their torment is like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will never find it, and they will long to die, and death will flee from them.

7 And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were something like crowns similar in appearance to gold, and their faces were like men’s faces, 8 and they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions, 9 and they had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many ⌊horse-drawn chariots⌋a running into battle. 10 And they have tails similar in appearance to scorpions, and stings, and their power to injure people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, ⌊whose name⌋b in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12 The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

A Third of Humanity Killed by Plagues

13 And the sixth angel blew the trumpet, and I heard one voice from the hornsc of the golden altar that is before God 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15 And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were released, in order that they should kill a third of humanity. 16 And the number of the troops of the cavalry was ⌊two hundred million⌋d; I heard the number of them. 17 And in this way I saw the horses in the vision, and those seated on them, who had fiery red and hyacinth-colored and sulphurous yellow breastplates, and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulphur. 18 By these three plagues a third of humanity was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the sulphur that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are similar in appearance to snakes, having heads, and with them they cause injury.e

20 And the rest of humanity who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, ⌊in order not to worship⌋f the demons and the gold and silver and bronze and stone and wooden idols, which are able neither to see nor to hear nor to walk, 21 and they did not repent of their murders or of their magic spells or of their sexual immorality or of their thefts.

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 And I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, and a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire,a 2 and holding in his hand a little scroll that was opened. And he put his right foot on the sea and his* left on the land. 3 And he cried out with a loud voice like a lion roars, and when he cried out, the seven thunders soundedb their own voices. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke,c I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders spoke, and do not write them!”

5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by the one who lives ⌊forever and ever⌋d, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days of the sound of the seventh angel, whenever he is about to blow the trumpet, thene the mystery of God is completed, as he announced to his own slaves the prophets.”