AND when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about half an hour. 2And I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and there were given to them seven trumpets. 3And another angel came, and stood by the altar, holding a golden censer; and there were given to him many perfumes, to offer with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4And the smoke of the perfumes went up with the prayers of the saints, out of the angel’s hand before God. 5And the angel took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6And the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7And the first angel blew the trumpet, and there were hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast on the earth; and a third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8And the second angel sounded, and there was cast into the sea as it were a vast mountain burning with fire: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9and a third part of the creatures having life, which are in the sea, died; and a third part of the ships was destroyed.
10And the third angel blew the trumpet, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of water; 11and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters was turned into wormwood, and multitudes of men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12And the fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars; so that a third part of them was darkened, and the day had no light during a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13And I saw and heard one angel flying in the mid-heavens, saying with a loud voice, Wo, wo, wo, to the dwellers upon earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels, which are ready to sound.
[CHAP. IX.]
AND the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth; and to him was given the key of the pit of the abyss of hell. 2And he opened the pit of the abyss; and a smoke ascended out of the pit like the smoke of a vast furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given to them, such power as the scorpions of the earth possess. 4And it was told them, Hurt not the grass of the earth, nor any herb, nor any tree, but only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And it was given them in charge that they should not kill these men outright, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment is as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall earnestly desire to die, and death shall fly from them. 7And the figures of the locusts were like horses equipped for war; and upon their heads there were as crowns, like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as breastplates of iron: and the sound of their wings was as the rumbling of chariots of many horses rushing to battle. 10And they had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and they had power to hurt men five months. 11And they had over them a king, the angel of the abyss of hell, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Appollyon. 12One woe is past; and, behold, there are coming yet two woes after these.
13And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a great voice from the four horns of the altar of gold which is before God, 14saying to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates. 15And the four angels were loosed, who were ready at the hour, and day, and month, and year, to kill the third part of mankind. 16And the number of the armies of cavalry was two myriads of myriads and I heard the number of them. 17And in this manner saw I the horses in the vision, and those who were mounted upon them, having breastplates of the colour of fire, and jacinth, and sulphur; and the horses’ heads were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceeded fire and smoke and brimstone. 18By these three were slain the third part of mankind, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the sulphur, which proceeded out of their mouths. 19For their powers are in their mouth, and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads, and with them they do hurt. 20And the residue of mankind, who were not slain by these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of wood, and of stone: which can neither see nor hear, nor walk: 21and they repented not of their murders, nor of their magical arts, nor of their whoredom, nor of their thefts.