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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. She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 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. 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. 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.

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven. 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

The Vision of a Woman Dressed with the Sun

12 A spectacular sign appeared in the sky: a woman dressed with the sun, who had the moon under her feet and a victor’s crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and was crying out from her labor pains, the agony of giving birth.

The Vision of the Red Dragon

Then another sign appeared in the sky: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on its heads. Its tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky and knocked them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it could devour her child when it was born. She gave birth to a son, a boy, who is to rule[a] all the nations with an iron scepter. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where a place had been prepared for her by God so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

The Vision of War in Heaven

Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels fought back. But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon was hurled down. That ancient serpent, called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was hurled down to the earth, along with its angels.

The Vision of the Cry of Victory

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

“Now the salvation, the power,
    the kingdom of our God,
        and the authority of his Messiah[b] have come.
For the one who accuses our brothers,
    who accuses them day and night
in the presence of our God,
    has been thrown out.
11 Our brothers[c] conquered him by the blood of the lamb
    and by the word of their testimony,
for they did not cling to their lives
    even in the face of death.
12 So be glad, heavens, and those who live in them!
How terrible it is for the earth and the sea,
    because the Devil has come down to you, filled with rage,
        knowing that his time is short!”

The Vision of Persecution of the Woman and Her Children

13 When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued[d] the woman who had given birth to the boy. 14 However, the woman was given the two wings of a large eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she could be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time. 15 From its mouth the serpent spewed water like a river behind the woman in order to sweep her away with the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed from its mouth. 17 The dragon became angry with the woman and went away to do battle against the rest of her children, the ones who keep God’s commandments and hold on to the testimony about Jesus.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:5 Or shepherd
  2. Revelation 12:10 Or Christ
  3. Revelation 12:11 Lit. They
  4. Revelation 12:13 Or persecuted