1 ¶ And the fifth angel sounded the trumpet, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

The fifth angel blew his horn. I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to earth. The key to the hole without a bottom was given to the angel.

2 A nd he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

He opened the hole and smoke came out like the smoke from a place where there is much fire. The sun and the air became dark because of the smoke from the hole.

3 A nd there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Locusts came down to the earth out of the smoke. They were given power to hurt like small animals that sting.

4 A nd it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth neither any green thing neither any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads.

They were told not to hurt the grass or any green plant or any tree. They were to hurt only the men who did not have the mark of God on their foreheads.

5 A nd to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should torment them five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man.

The locusts were not allowed to kill these men. They were to give them much pain for five months like the pain that comes from a small animal that stings.

6 A nd in those days men shall seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Men will look for ways to die during those days, but they will not find any way. They will want to die, but death will be kept from them.

7 A nd the appearance of the locusts was like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

The locusts looked like horses ready for war. They had on their heads what looked like crowns of gold. Their faces were like men’s faces.

8 A nd they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

Their hair was like the hair of women. Their teeth were like the teeth of lions.

9 A nd they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

Their chests were covered with what looked like pieces of iron. The sound their wings made was like the sound of many wagons rushing to war.

10 A nd they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months.

They had tails like a small animal that stings. The sting came from their tails. They were given power to hurt men for five months.

11 A nd they had a king over them, who is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon meaning destroyer.

These locusts have a king over them. He is the head angel of the hole that has no bottom. His name in the Hebrew language is Abbadon. In the Greek language it is Apollyon. (It means the one who destroys.)

12 T he first woe is past; and, behold, there come two more woes after these things.

The first time of trouble is past. But see, there are two more times of trouble coming after this. The Sixth Horn—the Angels That Kill

13 ¶ And the sixth angel sounded the trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before the presence of God,

The sixth angel blew his horn. I heard a voice coming from the four corners of the altar made of gold that is before God.

14 s aying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Loose the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates.

The voice said to the sixth angel who had the horn, “Let the four angels loose that have been chained at the big river Euphrates.”

15 A nd the four angels were loosed, who were prepared unto the hour and day and month and year, to slay the third part of men.

They had been kept ready for that hour and day and month and year. They were let loose so they could kill one-third part of all men that were living.

16 A nd the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred million: and I heard the number of them.

The army had 200 million soldiers on horses. I heard them say how many there were.

17 A nd thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sat on them, having breastplates of fire and of jacinth and brimstone; and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

I saw, as God wanted to show me, the horses and the men on them. The men had pieces of iron over their chests. These were red like fire and blue like the sky and yellow like sulphur. The heads of the horses looked like the heads of lions. Fire and smoke and sulphur came out of their mouths.

18 B y these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

One-third part of all men was killed by the fire and smoke and sulphur that came out of their mouths.

19 F or their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails were like unto serpents that have heads, and with them they do hurt.

The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails. Their tails were like the heads of snakes and with them they could bite and kill.

20 A nd the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and the images of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which neither can see nor hear nor walk.

The men that were still living after these troubles were past would not turn away from worshiping demons. They would not turn away from false gods made from gold and silver and brass and stone and wood. None of these false gods can see or hear or walk.

21 A nd they did not repent of their murders nor of their witchcraft nor of their fornication nor of their thefts.

These men were not sorry for their sins and would not turn away from all their killing and their witchcraft. They would not stop their sex sins and their stealing.