12 A very wonderful thing then appeared in the sky. I saw a woman who was wearing the sun like her clothes. The moon was under her feet. A crown of 12 stars was on her head. 2 She was pregnant. She screamed with pain as she tried to give birth to her baby.
3 Then another wonderful thing appeared in the sky. It was a very big red dragon. It had seven heads and ten horns. There was a crown on each head. 4 Its tail beat away a third of the stars from the sky. It threw them down on the earth. Then the dragon stood in front of the woman who would soon give birth to her baby. He was waiting there to eat her child as soon as he was born. 5 The woman gave birth to a son. He was a man who would rule all the nations of the world with strong authority. Then someone quickly took her child away. He went up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman ran away into the wilderness. God had prepared a special place to keep her safe there for 1,260 days.
7 Then a war started in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his army of angels fought against Michael and his angels. [ a ] 8 But the dragon and his army were not strong enough to win the battle. They no longer had a place for themselves in heaven. 9 Michael and his angels threw the great dragon out of heaven. The dragon is called the Devil or Satan. He is the snake who has been there since long ago. He tells lies to deceive the whole world. They threw him down to the earth, together with all his angels. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven that said:
‘Now God has saved his people from Satan's power!
God has shown his great power as King.
His Messiah has authority to rule.
Satan said bad things against our people.
He never stopped telling our God that our brothers and sisters are guilty.
But now God has thrown him out of heaven.
11 Our brothers and sisters fought against him and they won.
They could do this because of the death of the Lamb as a sacrifice.
They continued to speak God's true message.
They were also ready to die as God's servants.
That is why they were able to win against Satan.
12 So be happy, everyone who lives in heaven!
But terrible trouble will happen to the earth and the sea.
The Devil has come down to you now and he is very angry.
He knows that he has only a short time to hurt people.’
13 The dragon realized that they had thrown him down to the earth. So he chased after the woman who had given birth to the baby boy. He wanted to catch her. 14 But the woman received the two wings of a very big eagle. Then she could fly to the place in the wilderness that God had prepared for her. In that place God would keep her safe from the big snake. God would take care of her there for a time, times and half a time. [ b ]
15 Then the dragon poured lots of water out of his mouth like a river. He wanted the river of water to carry the woman away. 16 But a big hole opened in the ground. The river that poured from the dragon's mouth went down into the hole. That helped the woman to escape. 17 As a result, the dragon was very angry with the woman. So he went away to fight a war against her other descendants. Those are the people who obey God's commands. They continue to trust Jesus and to speak his message. [ c ]
18 After that, the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
12 And then a great wonder appeared in heaven: There was a woman who was clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet. She had a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out with pain because she was about to give birth.
3 Then another wonder appeared in heaven: There was a giant red dragon there. The dragon had seven heads with a crown on each head. It also had ten horns. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. It stood in front of the woman who was ready to give birth to the baby. It wanted to eat the woman’s baby as soon as it was born.
5 The woman gave birth to a son, who would rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was taken up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman ran away into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for 1260 days.
7 Then there was a war in heaven. Michael [ a ] and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, 8 but they were not strong enough. The dragon and its angels lost their place in heaven. 9 It was thrown down out of heaven. (This giant dragon is that old snake, the one called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world into the wrong way.) The dragon and its angels were thrown to the earth.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, “The victory and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah have now come. These things have come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown out. He is the one who accused them day and night before our God. 11 They defeated him by the blood sacrifice of the Lamb and by the message of God that they told people. They did not love their lives too much. They were not afraid of death. 12 So rejoice, you heavens and all who live there! But it will be terrible for the earth and sea, because the devil has gone down to you. He is filled with anger. He knows he doesn’t have much time.”
13 The dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth. So he chased the woman who had given birth to the child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle. Then she could fly to the place that was prepared for her in the desert. There she would be taken care of for three and a half years. There she would be away from the dragon. [ b ] 15 Then the dragon poured water out of its mouth like a river. It poured the water toward the woman so that the flood would carry her away. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that came from the mouth of the dragon. 17 Then the dragon was very angry with the woman. It went away to make war against all her other children. Her children are those who obey God’s commands and have the truth that Jesus taught.
18 The dragon stood on the seashore.
12 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12 A great ( A ) sign appeared ( B ) in heaven: ( C ) a woman ( D ) clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was pregnant and she * ( E ) cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
3 Then ( F ) another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red ( G ) dragon having ( H ) seven heads and ( I ) ten horns, and on his heads were ( J ) seven crowns. 4 And his tail *swept away a ( K ) third of the stars of heaven and ( L ) hurled them to the earth. And the ( M ) dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth ( N ) he might devour her Child.
5 And ( O ) she gave birth to a Son, a male, who is going to [ a ] ( P ) rule all the [ b ] nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was ( Q ) caught up to God and to His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she *had a place prepared by God, so that there [ c ] she would be nourished for ( R ) 1,260 days.
7 And there was war in heaven, ( S ) Michael and his angels waging war with the ( T ) dragon. The dragon and ( U ) his angels waged war, 8 and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great ( V ) dragon was thrown down, the ( W ) serpent of old who is called the devil and ( X ) Satan, who ( Y ) deceives the whole [ d ] world; he was ( Z ) thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard ( AA ) a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the ( AB ) salvation, and the power, and the ( AC ) kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the ( AD ) accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they ( AE ) overcame him because of ( AF ) the blood of the Lamb and because of ( AG ) the word of their testimony, and they ( AH ) did not love their life even [ e ] when faced with death. 12 For this reason, ( AI ) rejoice, you heavens and ( AJ ) you who dwell in them. ( AK ) Woe to the earth and the sea, because ( AL ) the devil has come down to you with great wrath, knowing that he has only ( AM ) a short time.”
13 And when the ( AN ) dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted ( AO ) the woman who gave birth to the male Child . 14 But the ( AP ) two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly ( AQ ) into the wilderness to her place, where she *was nourished for ( AR ) a time, times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the ( AS ) serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 [ f ] But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to ( AT ) make war with the rest of her [ g ] ( AU ) children, who ( AV ) keep the commandments of God and ( AW ) hold to the testimony of Jesus.
12 A great sign ( A ) appeared in heaven: ( B ) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars ( C ) on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain ( D ) as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: ( E ) an enormous red dragon ( F ) with seven heads ( G ) and ten horns ( H ) and seven crowns ( I ) on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third ( J ) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. ( K ) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child ( L ) the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” [ a ] ( M ) And her child was snatched up ( N ) to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. ( O )
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael ( P ) and his angels fought against the dragon, ( Q ) and the dragon and his angels ( R ) fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent ( S ) called the devil, ( T ) or Satan, ( U ) who leads the whole world astray. ( V ) He was hurled to the earth, ( W ) and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven ( X ) say:
“Now have come the salvation ( Y ) and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, ( Z )
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over ( AA ) him
by the blood of the Lamb ( AB )
and by the word of their testimony; ( AC )
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death. ( AD )
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens ( AE )
and you who dwell in them!
But woe ( AF ) to the earth and the sea, ( AG )
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon ( AH ) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. ( AI ) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, ( AJ ) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, ( AK ) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent ( AL ) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war ( AM ) against the rest of her offspring ( AN ) —those who keep God’s commands ( AO ) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. ( AP )
