Revelation · Chapter 9

[ edit] And þe fyueþe aungel ſong in trumpe; and I ſiȝe a ſterre for to haue fallen doun fro heuen in to erþe; and þe keye of þe pitt of depneſſe is ȝouun to him. And he openyde þe pitt of depneſſe, and ſmoke of þe pitt ſtiȝede vp, as þe ſmoke of a greet fourneys; and þe ſunne is derkid, and þe eyr, of þe ſmoke of þe pitt. And of þe ſmoke of þe pitt locuſtes wenten out in to þe erþe; and power is ȝouun to hem, as ſcorpiouns of erþe han power. And it is comaundid to hem, þat þei ſhulden not hirte hay of erþe, neþer al grene þing, neþer ech tree, but onely men, þat han not þe mark of God in her forhedis.

And it is ȝouun to hem, þat þei ſhulden not ſle hem, but þat þei ſhulden be tourmentid fyue moneþes; and þe tourmenting of hem, as þe tourmentyng of a ſcorpioun, whan he ſmytiþ a man. And in þo daies men ſhulen ſeke deeþ, and þei ſhulen not fynde it; and þei ſhulen deſijre for to die, and deeþ ſhal flee fro hem. And þe lijkneſſes of locuſtis lijk to horſis made redy in to bateyle; and on þe heedis of hem as crownes lijk to gold, and þe faces of hem as faces of men. And þei hadden heeres, as heeres of wymmen; and þe teeþ of hem were as þe teeþ of lyouns. And þei hadden haberiouns, as yren haberiouns, and þe voys of þe ilke wyngis as þe voys of chaaris of many horſis rennynge in to bateyl.

And þei hadden tayles lijk of ſcorpiouns, and prickes weren in þe tayles of hem; and þe miȝt of hem for to noye men bi fyue moneþis. And þei hadden vpon hem a kyng, þe aungel of depneſſe, to whom þe name bi Ebru, Labadon, forſoþe bi Greke, Appolion, and bi Latyn hauynge þe name Deſtrier. Oo woo paſſid, and lo! ȝit comen two wos. Aftir þes þingis and þe ſixt aungel ſong in trumpe; and I herde oo voys of foure corners of þe golden auter, þat is bifore þe iȝen of God, ſeiynge to þe ſixte aungel þat hadde a trumpe, Vnbynde foure aungels, þat ben bounde in þe greet flood Eufrates.

And þe foure aungels ben vnbounde, þe whiche weren redy into hour, and day, and moneþe, and ȝeer, þat þei ſhulden ſlee þe þridde paart of men. And þe noumbre of þe hooſt of horſmen twenty þouſynd ſiþis ten þouſyndis. I herde þe noumbre of hem. And ſo I ſiȝe horſes in viſioun; and þei þat ſaten on hem hadden fijry haberiouns, and iacynctines, and of brunſtony. And þe heedis of þe horſis weren as heedis of lyouns; and of þe mouþ of hem fijr comeþ forþ, and ſmoke, and brunſton. Of þeſe þre plagis, or woundis, þe þridde paart of men is ſlayn, of fijr, and of ſmoke, and of brunſton, þat camen out of þe mouþ of hem.

Soþeli þe power of horſis is in þe mouþ of hem, and in þe taylis of hem; forwhi þe tailis of hem lijk to ſerpentes, hauynge heedes, and in hem þei noyen. And þe toþir men, þat ben not ſlayn in þes plagis, neþer diden penaunce of þe werkis of her hondis, þat þei worſchipiden not deuels, and ſimulacres golden, ſilueren, and braſen, and ſtoonen, and treenen, þe whiche neþer mowen ſee, neþer heere, neþer wandre; and diden not penaunce of her manſleyngis, neþer of her venemyngis, neþer of her fornycacioun, neþir of her þeftis.