The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12 A great sign[a] appeared in heaven:(A) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.(B) She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.(C) Then another sign[b] appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon(D) having seven heads and ten horns,(E) and on its heads were seven crowns.[c] Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.(F) And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.(G) She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule[d] all nations with an iron rod.(H) Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,(I) to be nourished there[e] for 1,260 days.(J)

The Dragon Thrown Out of Heaven

Then war broke out in heaven: Michael(K) and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail,(L) and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.(M) So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent,(N) who is called the devil and Satan,(O) the one who deceives the whole world.(P) He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.(Q) 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Christ
have now come,(R)
because the accuser(S) of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them
before our God day and night,
has been thrown down.
11 They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb(T)
and by the word of their testimony;(U)
for they did not love their lives
to the point of death.(V)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!(W)
Woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to you
with great fury,
because he knows his time is short.

The Woman Persecuted

13 When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted[f] the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given two wings of a great eagle,(X) so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.(Y) 15 From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17 So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war(Z) against the rest of her offspring[g](AA)—those who keep the commands of God(AB) and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.(AC)

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Footnotes

  1. 12:1 Or great symbolic display; see Rv 12:3
  2. 12:3 Or another symbolic display
  3. 12:3 Or diadems
  4. 12:5 Or shepherd
  5. 12:6 Or God, that they might feed her there
  6. 12:13 Or pursued
  7. 12:17 Or seed

The Woman, Israel

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; and she was pregnant and she *(E)cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

The Red Dragon, Satan

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. 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.

The Male Child, Christ

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. 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.

The Angel, Michael

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, and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:5 Or shepherd
  2. Revelation 12:5 Or Gentiles
  3. Revelation 12:6 Lit they would nourish her for
  4. Revelation 12:9 Lit inhabited earth
  5. Revelation 12:11 Lit to the point of death
  6. Revelation 12:16 Lit And
  7. Revelation 12:17 Lit seed