Revelation 12:1-12

New Testament for Everyone

The woman and the dragon

12 Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ²She was expecting a child, and she cried out in pain, in the agony of giving birth. ³Then another sign appeared in heaven: a great fiery-red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. On its heads were seven coronets, ⁴and its tail swept a third of the stars out of heaven and threw them down to the earth. The dragon stood opposite the woman who was about to give birth, so that he could devour her child when it was born. ⁵She gave birth to a male child, who is going to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. The child was snatched away to God and to his throne; ⁶the woman, meanwhile, fled into the desert, where a place has been prepared for her by God, so that she could be looked after there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

The dragon is angry

⁷Then war broke out in heaven, with Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fighting back. ⁸But they could not win, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹So the great dragon was thrown down to the earth—the ancient serpent who is called the devil and the satan, who deceives the whole world. His angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now at last has come salvation and power: the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah! The accuser of our family has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before God day and night. ¹¹They conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, because they did not love their lives unto death. ¹²So rejoice, you heavens and all who live there! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he only has a short time.”

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Revelation 12:1-12

New International Version

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. ²She was pregnant and cried out in pain^(D) as she was about to give birth. ³Then 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. ⁴Its 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. ⁵She 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. ⁶The 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)

⁷Then war broke out in heaven. Michael^(P) and his angels fought against the dragon,^(Q) and the dragon and his angels^(R) fought back. ⁸But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹The 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.

¹⁰Then 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.
¹¹They 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)
¹²Therefore 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.”