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Domenica, 28 aprile 2024 - San Luigi Maria Grignion da Montfort ( Letture di oggi)

Revelation 9


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NEW JERUSALEMKING JAMES BIBLE
1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fal en from heaven onto the earth, andthe angel was given the key to the shaft leading down to the Abyss.1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 When he unlocked the shaft of the Abyss, smoke rose out of the Abyss like the smoke from a hugefurnace so that the sun and the sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss,2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a 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.
3 and out of the smoke dropped locusts onto the earth: they were given the powers that scorpions haveon the earth:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 they were forbidden to harm any fields or crops or trees and told to attack only those people who werewithout God's seal on their foreheads.4 And 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 which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 They were not to kil them, but to give them anguish for five months, and the anguish was to be theanguish of a scorpion's sting.5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 When this happens, people wil long for death and not find it anywhere; they wil want to die and deathwil evade them.6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 These locusts looked like horses armoured for battle; they had what looked like gold crowns on theirheads, and their faces looked human,7 And the shapes of the locusts were 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.
8 and their hair was like women's hair, and teeth like lion's teeth.8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 They had body-armour like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings sounded like the racket ofchariots with many horses charging.9 And 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.
10 Their tails were like scorpions' tails, with stings, and with their tails they were able to torture people forfive months.10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 As their leader they had their emperor, the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon,and in Greek Apol yon.11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12 That was the first of the disasters; there are stil two more to come.12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice issuing from the four horns of the goldenaltar in God's presence.13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 It spoke to the sixth angel with the trumpet, and said, 'Release the four angels that are chained up atthe great river Euphrates.'14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 These four angels had been ready for this hour of this day of this month of this year, and ready todestroy a third of the human race.15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 I learnt how many there were in their army: twice ten thousand times ten thousand mounted men.16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 In my vision I saw the horses, and the riders with their breastplates of flame colour, hyacinth-blue andsulphur-yel ow; the horses had lions' heads, and fire, smoke and sulphur were coming from their mouths.17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them 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.
18 It was by these three plagues, the fire, the smoke and the sulphur coming from their mouths, that theone third of the human race was killed.18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 Al the horses' power was in their mouths and their tails: their tails were like snakes, and had headswhich inflicted wounds.19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 But the rest of the human race, who escaped death by these plagues, refused either to abandon theirown handiwork or to stop worshipping devils, the idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood that canneither see nor hear nor move.20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Nor did they give up their murdering, or witchcraft, or fornication or stealing.21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.