Translations
F.O.G.MPrimary
F.O.G MessageOut of the smoke, locusts swarmed down on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth.
F.O.GSecondary
The F.O.GFrom the smoke, locusts came onto the earth, and they were given authority like the authority that scorpions of the earth possess.
KJV
King James VersionAnd there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleAnd out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.
Footnotes
ἐξουσία denotes delegated, legitimate authority — not merely raw physical capability (δύναμις). These locusts operate under granted jurisdiction, not autonomous destructive force. The F.O.G uses "authority" to preserve this distinction; the F.O.G Message uses "power" for visceral impact and readability, trading the legal-covenantal nuance for immediate force. The locust imagery directly evokes the Joel 1–2 plague, but these locusts invert natural order entirely (see v. 4).