1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and qI saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given rthe key to the shaft of sthe bottomless pit.1 2 He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft trose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and uthe sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. 3 Then from the smoke came vlocusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told wnot to harm xthe grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have ythe seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were allowed to torment them zfor five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. 6 And in those days apeople will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.
7 bIn appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: con their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were dlike human faces, 8 their hair like women’s hair, and etheir teeth like lions’ teeth; 9 they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was flike the noise of many chariots with ghorses rushing into battle. 10 They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people hfor five months is in their tails. 11 They have ias king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is jAbaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.2
12 kThe first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from lthe four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release mthe four angels who are bound at nthe great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released oto kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of pmounted troops was qtwice ten thousand times ten thousand; rI heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire3 and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were slike lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming 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 with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, tdid not repent of uthe works of their hands nor give up worshiping vdemons wand idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21 nor did they repent of their murders or their xsorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
The Angel and the Little Scroll
1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with ya rainbow over his head, and zhis face was like the sun, and ahis legs like pillars of fire. 2 bHe had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, clike a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, d“Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land eraised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by fhim who lives forever and ever, gwho created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that hin the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, ijust as he announced to his servants the prophets.
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, j“Take and keat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, l“You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
1 cThe wicked flee when no one pursues,
but dthe righteous are bold as a lion.
2 When a land transgresses, eit has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3 fA poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law gpraise the wicked,
but those who keep the law hstrive against them.
5 Evil men ido not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord junderstand it completely.
6 kBetter is a poor man who lwalks in his integrity
than a rich man who is lcrooked in his ways.
7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but ma companion of gluttons shames his father.
8 Whoever multiplies his wealth nby interest and profit1
ogathers it for him who is pgenerous to the poor.
9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his qprayer is an abomination.
10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
rwill fall into his own pit,
but the blameless swill have a goodly inheritance.
11 A rich man is wise in his town eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding uwill find him out.
12 When vthe righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when wthe wicked rise, people hide themselves.
13 Whoever xconceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who yconfesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who zfears the Lord2 always,
but whoever ahardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15 Like ba roaring lion or ca charging bear
is da wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A ruler who elacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17 If one is burdened with fthe blood of another,
he will be a fugitive until death;3
let no one help him.
18 gWhoever hwalks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
19 iWhoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich jwill not go unpunished.
21 To show kpartiality is not good,
but for la piece of bread a man will do wrong.
22 A mstingy man4 nhastens after wealth
and does not know that opoverty will come upon him.
23 Whoever prebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than qhe who flatters with his tongue.
24 Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is ra companion to a man who destroys.
25 A greedy man sstirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will tbe enriched.
26 Whoever utrusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27 Whoever vgives to the poor will not want,
but he who whides his eyes will get many a curse.
28 When xthe wicked rise, ypeople hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.
