1When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (Re 5:1; Re 6:1)2Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. (Lu 1:19)3And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, (Ex 30:1; Ex 30:3; Am 9:1; Re 5:8; Re 9:13)4and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. (Ps 141:2)5Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings,[1] flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. (Le 16:12; Ps 18:7; Re 4:5)
The Seven Trumpets
6Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.7The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. (Ex 9:23; Ps 18:13; Isa 2:13; Eze 38:22; Joe 2:30; Zec 13:8; Re 8:8; Re 9:4; Re 9:15; Re 9:18; Re 12:4)8The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. (Ex 7:17; Ex 7:19; Jer 51:25; Mr 11:23; Re 11:6)9A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Isa 2:16)10The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (Isa 14:12; Re 9:1; Re 14:7; Re 16:4)11The name of the star is Wormwood.[2] A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. (Ex 15:23; De 29:18; Jer 9:15; Jer 23:15)12The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. (Ex 10:21; Isa 13:10; Isa 30:26)13Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!” (Re 9:12; Re 11:14)
Revelation 8
New International Version
The seventh seal and the golden censer
1When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.2And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.3Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The trumpets
6Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.7The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.8The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,9a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.10The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water –11the name of the star is Wormwood.[1] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.12The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.13As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in mid-air call out in a loud voice: ‘Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!’
Revelation 8
King James Version
1And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.2And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.3And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.4And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.5And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.6And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.7The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.8And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;9And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.10And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;11And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.12And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.13And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Revelation 8
New International Reader’s Version
The seventh seal and the gold cup
1The Lamb opened the seventh seal. Then there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.2I saw the seven angels who stand in front of God. Seven trumpets were given to them.3Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a shallow gold cup for burning incense. He was given a lot of incense to offer on the golden altar. The altar was in front of the throne. With the incense he offered the prayers of all God’s people.4The smoke of the incense rose up from the angel’s hand. The prayers of God’s people rose up together with it. The smoke and the prayers went up in front of God.5Then the angel took the gold cup and filled it with fire from the altar. He threw it down on the earth. There were rumblings and thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The trumpets
6Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets got ready to blow them.7The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned. A third of the trees were burned. All the green grass was burned.8The second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood.9A third of the living creatures in the sea died. A third of the ships were destroyed.10The third angel blew his trumpet. Then a great star fell from the sky. It looked like a blazing torch. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.11The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter. Many people died from it.12The fourth angel blew his trumpet. Then a third of the sun was struck. A third of the moon was struck. A third of the stars were struck. So a third of each of them turned dark. Then a third of the day had no light. The same thing happened to a third of the night.13As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying high in the air. It called out in a loud voice, ‘How terrible! How terrible it will be for those living on the earth! How terrible! They will suffer as soon as the next three angels blow their trumpets!’