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Revelation 12:1-17
New English Translation

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12 Then[a] a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars.[b] 2 She[c] was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling[d] to give birth. 3 Then[e] another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns.[f] 4 Now[g] the dragon’s[h] tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then[i] the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 So[j] the woman gave birth to a son, a male child,[k] who is going to rule[l] over all the nations[m] with an iron rod.[n] Her[o] child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and she[p] fled into the wilderness[q] where a place had been prepared for her[r] by God, so she could be taken care of[s] for 1,260 days.

War in Heaven

7 Then[t] war broke out in heaven: Michael[u] and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But[v] the dragon was not strong enough to prevail,[w] so there was no longer any place left[x] in heaven for him and his angels.[y] 9 So[z] that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 10 Then[aa] I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority[ab] of his Christ,[ac] have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,[ad]
the one who accuses them day and night[ae] before our God,
has been thrown down.
11 But[af] they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives[ag] so much that they were afraid to die.
12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But[ah] woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He[ai] is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”

13 Now[aj] when the dragon realized[ak] that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But[al] the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness,[am] to the place God[an] prepared for her, where she is taken care of—away from the presence of the serpent—for a time, times, and half a time.[ao] 15 Then[ap] the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to[aq] sweep her away by a flood, 16 but[ar] the earth came to her rescue;[as] the ground opened up[at] and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17 So[au] the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children,[av] those who keep[aw] God’s commandments and hold to[ax] the testimony about Jesus.[ay]

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  2. Revelation 12:1 sn Sun…moon…stars. This imagery is frequently identified with the nation Israel because of Joseph’s dream in Gen 37.
  3. Revelation 12:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  4. Revelation 12:2 tn Grk “and being tortured,” though βασανίζω (basanizō) in this context refers to birth pangs. BDAG 168 s.v. 2.b states, “Of birth-pangs (Anth. Pal. 9, 311 βάσανος has this mng.) Rv 12:2.” The καί (kai) has not been translated.
  5. Revelation 12:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  6. Revelation 12:3 tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadēma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.sn Diadem crowns were a type of crown used as a symbol of the highest ruling authority in a given area, and thus often associated with kingship.
  7. Revelation 12:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate that this remark is virtually parenthetical.
  8. Revelation 12:4 tn Grk “its”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. Revelation 12:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  10. Revelation 12:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the anticipated birth.
  11. Revelation 12:5 tn On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἄρσην states: “male…The neut. ἄρσεν Rv 12:5, difft. vs. 13, comes fr. Is 66:7 and is in apposition to υἱόν. On the juxtaposition s. FBoll, ZNW 15, 1914, 253; BOlsson, Glotta 23, ’34, 112.”
  12. Revelation 12:5 tn Grk “shepherd.”
  13. Revelation 12:5 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
  14. Revelation 12:5 tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rhabdos) can mean either “rod” or “scepter.” sn An allusion to Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27; 19:15).
  15. Revelation 12:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  16. Revelation 12:6 tn Grk “and the woman,” which would be somewhat redundant in English.
  17. Revelation 12:6 tn Or “desert.”
  18. Revelation 12:6 tn Grk “where she has there a place prepared by God.”
  19. Revelation 12:6 tn Grk “so they can take care of her.”
  20. Revelation 12:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  21. Revelation 12:7 sn The archangel Michael had a special role in protecting the nation of Israel in the OT (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; see also Jude 9).
  22. Revelation 12:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.
  23. Revelation 12:8 tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  24. Revelation 12:8 tn Grk “found.”
  25. Revelation 12:8 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  26. Revelation 12:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.
  27. Revelation 12:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  28. Revelation 12:10 tn Or “the right of his Messiah to rule.” See L&N 37.35.
  29. Revelation 12:10 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  30. Revelation 12:10 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). The translation “fellow believer” would normally apply (L&N 11.23), but since the speaker(s) are not specified in this context, it is not clear if such a translation would be appropriate here. The more generic “brothers and sisters” was chosen to emphasize the fact of a relationship without specifying its type.
  31. Revelation 12:10 tn Or “who accuses them continually.”
  32. Revelation 12:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
  33. Revelation 12:11 sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.
  34. Revelation 12:12 tn The word “But” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied. This is a case of asyndeton (lack of a connective).
  35. Revelation 12:12 tn Grk “and is filled,” a continuation of the previous sentence. Because English tends to use shorter sentences (especially when exclamations are involved), a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  36. Revelation 12:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” because the clause it introduces is clearly resumptive.
  37. Revelation 12:13 tn Grk “saw.”
  38. Revelation 12:14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
  39. Revelation 12:14 tn Or “desert.”
  40. Revelation 12:14 tn The word “God” is supplied based on the previous statements made concerning “the place prepared for the woman” in 12:6.
  41. Revelation 12:14 tc The reading “and half a time” (καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ, kai hēmisu kairou) is lacking in the significant majuscule C. Its inclusion, however, is supported by P47 א A and the rest of the ms tradition. There is apparently no reason for the scribe of C to intentionally omit the phrase, and the fact that the word “time” (καιρὸν καὶ καιρούς, kairon kai kairous) appears twice before may indicate a scribal oversight.sn The parallel statement in Rev 12:6 suggests that the phrase a time, times, and half a time equals 1,260 days (three and a half years of 360 days each).
  42. Revelation 12:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  43. Revelation 12:15 tn Grk “so that he might make her swept away.”
  44. Revelation 12:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
  45. Revelation 12:16 tn Grk “the earth helped the woman.”
  46. Revelation 12:16 tn Grk “the earth opened its mouth” (a metaphor for the ground splitting open).
  47. Revelation 12:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the woman’s escape.
  48. Revelation 12:17 tn Grk “her seed” (an idiom for offspring, children, or descendants).
  49. Revelation 12:17 tn Or “who obey.”
  50. Revelation 12:17 tn Grk “and having.”
  51. Revelation 12:17 tn Grk “the testimony of Jesus,” which may involve a subjective genitive (“Jesus’ testimony”) or, more likely, an objective genitive (“testimony about Jesus”).
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Revelation 12
World English Bible

12 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. 3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7 There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. 8 They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven. 9 The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. 12 Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. 17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring,[a] who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

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Footnotes

  1. 12:17 or, seed
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Revelation 11
Revelation 13
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