The Fifth Trumpet 1 UST Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. God gave it the key to the deep, dark pit. BSB BSB: Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.
2 UST When he opened that pit, a huge amount of smoke rose from it, as if it were a great burning furnace. The smoke prevented anyone from seeing the light of the sun and the sky. BSB BSB: The star opened the pit of the Abyss, and smoke rose out of it like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit.
3 UST Then locusts came out of the smoke and started swarming the earth. God gave these locusts the power to sting people just as scorpions sting people. BSB BSB: And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.
4 UST God told the locusts that they should not eat up all the grass on the ground and all the plants and all the leaves on the trees{ as locusts usually do}. God told the locusts just to sting the people who did not have the mark on their foreheads that showed they belonged to God. BSB BSB: They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5 UST God did not allow the locusts to kill those people. Instead, the locusts kept torturing people for five months. The pain those people felt was like the pain that a scorpion causes when it stings someone. BSB BSB: The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion.
6 UST During the time when the locusts torture people who refuse to belong to God, those people{ will be in so much pain that they} will want to die. But God will make sure those people stay alive{ to experience the punishment for their sin}. BSB BSB: In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.
7 UST The locusts looked like horses that were ready for battle. They had what looked like golden crowns on their heads. Their faces were like human faces. BSB BSB: And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads; and their faces were like the faces of men.
8 UST They had long hair like women’ s long hair. Their teeth were as strong as lions’ teeth. BSB BSB: They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions.
9 UST They wore breastplates made of metal. When they were flying, their wings made a noise like the roar of many horses pulling chariots and rushing into battle. BSB BSB: They also had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
10 UST They had tails like the tails of scorpions. With these tails they could sting people. Their power to harm people during those five months was in their tails. BSB BSB: They had tails with stingers like scorpions, which had the power to injure people for five months.
11 UST The king who ruled over them was the angel of the deep, dark pit. His name in the Hebrew language is Abaddon. In the Greek language it is Apollyon. Both of these names mean Destroyer. BSB BSB: They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.
12 UST { After five months the locusts went away.} That ended the first terrible event. But be aware that two more terrible events are still to come. BSB BSB: The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still to follow.
The Sixth Trumpet 13 UST Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar that is in God’ s presence. BSB BSB: Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God
14 UST The voice 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.” BSB BSB: saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”
15 UST Then those four angels went free. They had been waiting for that exact moment. They went free so they could enable their soldiers to kill one third of humanity. BSB BSB: So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.
16 UST I heard someone say how many soldiers there were riding on horses. The number was 200, 000, 000. BSB BSB: And the number of mounted troops was two hundred million; I heard their number.
17 UST In the vision I saw what the horses and the soldiers who rode them looked like. The soldiers wore breastplates that were red like fire, blue like sapphire, 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. BSB BSB: Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and sulfur.
18 UST Those three things— the fire, the smoke, and the burning sulfur from the horses’ mouths— killed one third of humanity. BSB BSB: A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur that proceeded from their mouths.
19 UST But the power of the horses was also in their tails, as well as in their mouths. Their tails were like snakes, and they had heads that bit people. BSB BSB: For the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; indeed, their tails were like snakes, having heads with which to inflict harm.
20 UST But there were still people whom the plagues of fire and smoke and burning sulfur did not kill. Those people did not stop doing sinful things. They also did not stop worshiping demons and idols that they had made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood. The people did not stop worshiping the idols even though they were lifeless statues that could not help people. BSB BSB: Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
21 UST They also did not stop murdering other people, practicing sorcery, acting in sexually immoral ways, and stealing things. BSB BSB: Furthermore, they did not repent of their murder, sorcery, sexual immorality, and theft.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.