Apocalypse 12
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979
La femme, le dragon et l’enfant
12 Un grand signe parut dans le ciel: une femme enveloppée du soleil, la lune sous ses pieds, et une couronne de douze étoiles sur sa tête. 2 Elle était enceinte, et elle criait, étant en travail et dans les douleurs de l’enfantement.
3 Un autre signe parut encore dans le ciel; et voici, c’était un grand dragon rouge feu[a], ayant sept têtes et dix cornes, et sur ses têtes sept diadèmes. 4 Sa queue entraînait le tiers des étoiles du ciel, et les jetait sur la terre.
Le dragon se tint devant la femme qui allait enfanter, afin de dévorer son enfant, lorsqu’elle aurait enfanté. 5 Elle enfanta un fils[b], qui doit paître toutes les nations avec une verge de fer. Et son enfant fut enlevé vers Dieu et vers son trône. 6 Et la femme s’enfuit dans le désert, où elle avait un lieu préparé par Dieu, afin d’y être nourrie pendant mille deux cent soixante jours.
7 Et il y eut guerre dans le ciel. Michel et ses anges combattirent contre le dragon. Et le dragon et ses anges combattirent, 8 mais ils ne furent pas les plus forts, et leur place ne fut plus trouvée dans le ciel. 9 Et il fut précipité, le grand dragon, le serpent ancien, appelé le diable et Satan, celui qui séduit toute la terre, il fut précipité sur la terre, et ses anges furent précipités avec lui.
10 Et j’entendis dans le ciel une voix forte qui disait: Maintenant le salut est arrivé, ainsi que la puissance, le règne de notre Dieu, et l’autorité de son Christ; car il a été précipité, l’accusateur de nos frères, celui qui les accusait devant notre Dieu jour et nuit. 11 Ils l’ont vaincu à cause du sang de l’Agneau et à cause de la parole de leur témoignage, et ils n’ont pas aimé leur vie jusqu’à craindre la mort. 12 C’est pourquoi réjouissez-vous, cieux, et vous qui habitez dans les cieux. Malheur à la terre et à la mer! car le diable est descendu vers vous, animé d’une grande colère, sachant qu’il a peu de temps.
13 Quand le dragon vit qu’il avait été précipité sur la terre, il poursuivit la femme qui avait enfanté le fils[c]. 14 Et les deux ailes du grand aigle furent données à la femme, afin qu’elle s’envole au désert, vers son lieu, où elle est nourrie un temps, des temps, et la moitié d’un temps, loin de la face du serpent. 15 Et, de sa gueule, le serpent lança de l’eau comme un fleuve derrière la femme, afin de l’entraîner par le fleuve. 16 Mais la terre secourut la femme, elle ouvrit sa bouche et engloutit le fleuve que le dragon avait lancé de sa gueule. 17 Et le dragon fut irrité contre la femme, et il s’en alla faire la guerre au reste de sa postérité, à ceux qui gardent les commandements de Dieu et qui retiennent le témoignage de Jésus[d]. 18 Et il se tint[e] sur le sable de la mer.
Footnotes
- Apocalypse 12:3 Seg. rouge
- Apocalypse 12:5 Un fils, litt. un enfant mâle
- Apocalypse 12:13 Seg. l’enfant mâle
- Apocalypse 12:17 Seg. qui ont le témoignage de Jésus
- Apocalypse 12:18 Il se tint: certains mss ont je me tins
Apocalypse 12
La Bible du Semeur
Le signe de la femme enceinte
12 Alors un signe grandiose apparut dans le ciel : c’était une femme. Elle avait pour vêtement le soleil, la lune sous ses pieds et une couronne de douze étoiles sur sa tête. 2 Elle était enceinte, sur le point d’accoucher, et ses douleurs lui arrachaient des cris.
3 Là-dessus, un autre signe parut dans le ciel, et voici : c’était un grand dragon[a], couleur de feu. Il avait sept têtes et dix cornes. Chacune de ses sept têtes portait un diadème. 4 Sa queue balaya le tiers des étoiles du ciel et les jeta sur la terre. Le dragon se posta devant la femme qui allait accoucher, pour dévorer son enfant dès qu’elle l’aurait mis au monde. 5 Or, elle enfanta un fils, un garçon qui est destiné à diriger tous les peuples avec un sceptre de fer[b]. Et son enfant fut enlevé auprès de Dieu et de son trône. 6 La femme s’enfuit au désert, où Dieu lui avait préparé un refuge pour qu’elle y soit nourrie pendant mille deux cent soixante jours.
7 Alors une bataille s’engagea dans le ciel : Michel[c] et ses anges combattirent contre le dragon, et celui-ci les combattit avec ses anges ; 8 mais le dragon ne remporta pas la victoire et lui et ses anges ne purent maintenir leur position au ciel. 9 Il fut précipité, le grand dragon, le Serpent ancien[d], qu’on appelle le diable et Satan, celui qui égare le monde entier. Il fut précipité sur la terre, et ses anges furent précipités avec lui.
10 Puis j’entendis dans le ciel une voix puissante qui disait :
Maintenant, le temps du salut
est arrivé.
Maintenant, notre Dieu
a manifesté sa puissance,
il a instauré son royaume.
Maintenant, son Messie
a pris l’autorité en main.
Car l’Accusateur[e] de nos frères,
celui qui, jour et nuit,
les a accusés devant Dieu,
a été jeté hors du ciel.
11 Mais eux, ils l’ont vaincu
grâce au sacrifice de l’Agneau
et grâce au témoignage
qu’ils ont rendu pour lui,
car ils n’ont pas aimé leur vie
jusqu’à redouter de mourir.
12 Réjouis-toi donc, ô ciel,
et vous qui habitez au ciel,
réjouissez-vous !
Mais malheur à la terre
et à la mer :
le diable est descendu vers vous
rempli de rage
car il sait qu’il lui reste
très peu de temps.
13 Quand le dragon se vit précipité sur la terre, il se lança à la poursuite de la femme qui avait mis au monde le garçon. 14 Mais les deux ailes d’un grand aigle furent données à la femme pour qu’elle s’envole vers le désert jusqu’au lieu qui lui est réservé. Là elle doit être nourrie pendant un temps, deux temps, et la moitié d’un temps, loin du Serpent. 15 Le Serpent vomit de sa gueule, derrière la femme, de l’eau abondante comme un fleuve, pour qu’elle soit emportée dans ses flots. 16 Mais la terre vint au secours de la femme : elle ouvrit sa bouche et absorba le fleuve que le dragon avait vomi de sa gueule. 17 Alors, furieux contre la femme, le dragon s’en alla faire la guerre au reste de ses enfants, c’est-à-dire à ceux qui obéissent aux commandements de Dieu et qui s’attachent au témoignage rendu par Jésus. 18 Il se posta[f] sur le rivage sablonneux de la mer.
Revelation 12
King James Version
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.
Revelation 12
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 12
The Great Confrontation: Pagan Rome and the Church[a]
Two Signs in Heaven: the Woman and the Dragon.[b] A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was with child and about to give birth, crying aloud in the anguish of her labor.3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems crowning his heads. 4 His tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them to the earth.
The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child who is destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was taken up directly to God and to his throne. 6 The woman herself fled into the wilderness where she would be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days[c] in a place prepared for her by God.
7 Next, war broke out in heaven, with Michael[d] and his angels in combat against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but they were defeated, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon—the ancient serpent who is called the devil, or Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—was hurled down to earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser[e] of our brethren has been cast out,
the one who accused them day and night before our God.
11 They have conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
even in the face of death
they did not cling to life.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to you, earth and sea,
because the devil has come down to you.
He is filled with rage,
for he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon realized that he had been hurled down to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she was to be looked after for a year, two years, and a half year.[f]
15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed out water like a river after the woman to sweep her away with the flood. 16 However, the earth came to the rescue of the woman: it opened its mouth and swallowed the river spewed from the dragon’s mouth.
17 Then the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war on the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.
18 A Beast Rises from the Sea.[g] Meanwhile, I took my position[h] on the seashore.
Footnotes
- Revelation 12:1 The animosity exhibited by the public authorities against Christian communities has become persecution. Now the grand declarations of loyalty toward the power are ended (see Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13-17). The time has come, not to organize some armed defense or subversion but to resist every pressure and to stand fast in fidelity to Christ even to the shedding of blood. At this point, the Roman empire comes on the scene as the instrument used by all the forces hostile to Christ, his Kingdom, and his faithful. The Roman empire is a symbol of all earthly empires with their claim to impose their own ideas and purposes as a religion. The struggle will end with the victory of the risen Christ and those who have put their trust in him.
1
Here then is the time of the nations or the pagans. In the previous chapters, which envisaged the last times from the viewpoint of Israel’s destiny, its place had already been marked out in anticipation (Rev 10:1—11:13). This is the scene itself. The structure of the chapters that follow is less clear; however, we find once again the same procedure as in the seven visions and the seven bowls. - Revelation 12:1 Two types play a role in this inaugural vision. The ancient prophecy of Genesis (3:15) is fulfilled: a struggle in which there is no truce opposes the posterity of the chosen people and the forces of evil. The woman who gives birth personifies first of all the chosen people, from which the Messiah is to be born; there is certainly a reference to him in v. 5, which cites some classic Messianic texts: Isa 66:7 and Ps 2:9.
A long-standing Christian tradition also identifies the woman with the Virgin Mary, an exemplar of the chosen people. Modern exegetes rarely support so explicit an interpretation, but do not deny that the role of the one called “woman” in the fourth Gospel (Jn 2:4; 19:26) may have indirectly inspired, at least partially, this description in the Book of Revelation.
The dragon (see Dan 7; 8:10) has all the characteristics of the power that rises up against God: seven heads, ten horns, behavior capable of destroying the order of the universe (v. 4, citing Dan 8:10). The dragon is Satan, the eternal accuser of human beings before God (see Job 1:6-11; 2:1-10). After this “the rest of her [the woman’s] offspring” (v. 17)—i.e., the faithful followers of Christ—suffer a period of struggles and trials in “the wilderness” (v. 6), i.e., on the earthly journey of the Church. In these trials the Church will not lack the strength given by the manna (see v. 6), an evident reference to the Eucharist.
Hell can launch against the Church all the forces unleashed by the Roman political authorities. In this scene there is also a struggle between Michael and the dragon (v. 7), which illustrates the victory of Christ; the description draws its inspiration from the Book of Daniel. - Revelation 12:6 Twelve hundred and sixty days: see note on Rev 11:2-3, 11.
- Revelation 12:7 Michael: i.e., God’s champion according to Jewish tradition (see Dan 10:12-21; 12:1); his name means “Who can compare with God?”
- Revelation 12:10 Accuser: the translation for the Hebrew word “Satan” (see 1 Chr 21:1; Job 1–2; Zec 3:1). In Hebrew scripture, Satan is a type of district attorney who accuses people of their sins at the Last Judgment.
- Revelation 12:14 A year, two years, and a half year: see note on Rev 11:2.
- Revelation 12:18 This beast that is possessed of extraordinary power (seven heads and ten horns) personifies the Roman empire. Its historical success is a blasphemous parody of the Christian mystery; the emperors have themselves acclaimed with divine titles, while for Christians only God and the Lamb have a right to the title “Lord” (Kyrios). The head that was wounded and then healed probably refers to Nero who was forced to commit suicide (by pushing a sword into his head) and was said to have risen from the dead (again, a blasphemous parody of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection).
- Revelation 12:18 I took my position . . .: another translation is: “he took his position . . .”—which would join v. 18 to the preceding paragraph.
Nouvelle Edition de Genève Copyright © 1979 by Société Biblique de Genève
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
