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. 2He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. 3Then out of the smoke came forth locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4They 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 Allah’s seal on their foreheads. 5They 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. 6In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7The 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. 8They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. 9They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war. 10They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. 11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon,“[1] but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon.“[2] 12The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.
13The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before Allah, 14saying to the sixth angel who had one trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!“
15The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. 16The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million[3]. I heard the number of them. 17Thus 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. 18By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19For the power 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. 20The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of bronze, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. 21They didn’t repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries,[4] nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.
[1] 9:11 “Abaddon“ is a Hebrew word that means ruin, destruction, or the place of destruction
[2] 9:11 “Apollyon“ means “Destroyer.“
[3] 9:16 literally, “ten thousands of ten thousands“
[4] 9:21 The word for “sorceries“ (pharmakeia) also implies the use of potions, poisons, and drugs