The Woman and the Dragon

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:

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)

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon^[b] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.^(AQ) It had ten horns and seven heads,^(AR) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.^{(AS) 2} The beast I saw resembled a leopard,^(AT) but had feet like those of a bear^(AU) and a mouth like that of a lion.^(AV) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.^{(AW) 3} One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.^(AX) The whole world was filled with wonder^(AY) and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like^(AZ) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies^(BA) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.^{(BB) 6} It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.^{(BC) 7} It was given power to wage war^(BD) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.^{(BE) 8} All inhabitants of the earth^(BF) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,^(BG) the Lamb^(BH) who was slain from the creation of the world.^[c](BI)

⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(BJ)

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness^(BL) on the part of God’s people.^(BM)

The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.^(BN) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.^{(BO) 12} It exercised all the authority^(BP) of the first beast on its behalf,^(BQ) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,^(BR) whose fatal wound had been healed.^{(BS) 13} And it performed great signs,^(BT) even causing fire to come down from heaven^(BU) to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs^(BV) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived^(BW) the inhabitants of the earth.^(BX) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.^{(BY) 15} The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship^(BZ) the image to be killed.^{(CA) 16} It also forced all people, great and small,^(CB) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,^{(CC) 17} so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,^(CD) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.^(CE)

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom.^(CF) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.^[f](CG) That number is 666.

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,^(CH) standing on Mount Zion,^(CI) and with him 144,000^(CJ) who had his name and his Father’s name^(CK) written on their foreheads.^{(CL) 2} And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters^(CM) and like a loud peal of thunder.^(CN) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.^{(CO) 3} And they sang a new song^(CP) before the throne and before the four living creatures^(CQ) and the elders.^(CR) No one could learn the song except the 144,000^(CS) who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.^(CT) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.^(CU) They were purchased from among mankind^(CV) and offered as firstfruits^(CW) to God and the Lamb. ⁵ No lie was found in their mouths;^(CX) they are blameless.^(CY)

The Three Angels

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midair,^(CZ) and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth^(DA)—to every nation, tribe, language and people.^{(DB) 7} He said in a loud voice, “Fear God^(DC) and give him glory,^(DD) because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made^(DE) the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”^(DF)

⁸ A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’^[g](DG) which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”^(DH)

⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast^(DI) and its image^(DJ) and receives its mark on their forehead^(DK) or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,^(DL) which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.^(DM) They will be tormented with burning sulfur^(DN) in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.^(DO) There will be no rest day or night^(DP) for those who worship the beast and its image,^(DQ) or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”^{(DR) 12} This calls for patient endurance^(DS) on the part of the people of God^(DT) who keep his commands^(DU) and remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord^(DV) from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit,^(DW) “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress

¹⁴ I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,^(DX) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man^[h](DY) with a crown^(DZ) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple^(EA) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle^(EB) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest^(EC) of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶ So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷ Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.^{(ED) 18} Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar^(EE) and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle^(EF) and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” ¹⁹ The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.^{(EG) 20} They were trampled in the winepress^(EH) outside the city,^(EI) and blood^(EJ) flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.^[i]