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Lunedi, 13 maggio 2024 - Beata Vergine Maria di Fatima ( Letture di oggi)

Revelation 9


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CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAINNEW JERUSALEM
1 And the fifth Angel sounded the trumpet. And I saw upon the earth, a star that had fallen from heaven, and the key to the well of the abyss was given to him.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.
2 And he opened the well of the abyss. And the smoke of the well ascended, like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were obscured by the smoke of the well.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,
3 And locusts went forth from the smoke of the well into the earth. And power was given to them, like the power that the scorpions of the earth have.3 and out of the smoke dropped locusts onto the earth: they were given the powers that scorpions haveon the earth:
4 And it was commanded of them that they must not harm the plants of the earth, nor anything green, nor any tree, but only those men who do not have the Seal of God upon their foreheads.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.
5 And it was given to them that they would not kill them, but that they would torture them for five months. And their torture was like the torture of a scorpion, when he strikes a man.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.
6 And in those days, men will seek death and they will not find it. And they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.6 When this happens, people wil long for death and not find it anywhere; they wil want to die and deathwil evade them.
7 And the likenesses of the locusts resembled horses prepared for battle. And upon their heads were something like crowns similar to gold. And their faces were like the faces of men.7 These locusts looked like horses armoured for battle; they had what looked like gold crowns on theirheads, and their faces looked human,
8 And they had hair like the hair of women. And their teeth were like the teeth of lions.8 and their hair was like women's hair, and teeth like lion's teeth.
9 And they had breastplates like iron breastplates. And the noise of their wings was like the noise of many running horses, rushing to battle.9 They had body-armour like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings sounded like the racket ofchariots with many horses charging.
10 And they had tails similar to scorpions. And there were stingers in their tails, and these had the power to harm men for five months.10 Their tails were like scorpions' tails, with stings, and with their tails they were able to torture people forfive months.
11 And they had over them a king, the Angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Doom; in Greek, Destroyer; in Latin, Exterminator.11 As their leader they had their emperor, the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon,and in Greek Apol yon.
12 One woe has gone out, but behold, there are still two woes approaching afterward.12 That was the first of the disasters; there are stil two more to come.
13 And the sixth Angel sounded the trumpet. And I heard a lone voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before the eyes of God,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.
14 saying to the sixth Angel who had the trumpet: “Release the four Angels who were bound at the great river Euphrates.”14 It spoke to the sixth angel with the trumpet, and said, 'Release the four angels that are chained up atthe great river Euphrates.'
15 And the four Angels were released, who had been prepared for that hour, and day, and month, and year, in order to kill one third part of men.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.
16 And the number of the army of horsemen was two hundred million. For I heard their number.16 I learnt how many there were in their army: twice ten thousand times ten thousand mounted men.
17 And I also saw the horses in the vision. And those who were sitting upon them had breastplates of fire and hyacinth and sulphur. And the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions. And from their mouths proceeded fire and smoke and sulphur.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.
18 And one third part of men were slain by these three afflictions: by the fire and by the smoke and by the sulphur, which proceeded from their mouths.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.
19 For the power of these horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails resemble serpents, having heads; and it is with these that they cause harm.19 Al the horses' power was in their mouths and their tails: their tails were like snakes, and had headswhich inflicted wounds.
20 And the rest of men, who were not slain by these afflictions, did not repent from the works of their hands, so that they would not worship demons, or idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk.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.
21 And they did not repent from their murders, nor from their drugs, nor from their fornication, nor from their thefts.21 Nor did they give up their murdering, or witchcraft, or fornication or stealing.