Revelation 12

1  AND A great sign (wonder)--[warning of future events of ominous significance] appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crownlike garland (tiara) of twelve stars on her head.2  She was pregnant and she cried out in her birth pangs, in the anguish of her delivery.3  Then another ominous sign (wonder) was seen in heaven: Behold, a huge, fiery-red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven kingly crowns (diadems) upon his heads. 4  His tail swept [across the sky] and dragged down a third of the stars and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stationed himself in front of the woman who was about to be delivered, so that he might devour her child as soon as she brought it forth. 5  And she brought forth a male Child, One Who is destined to shepherd (rule) all the nations with an iron staff (scepter), and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6  And the woman [herself] fled into the desert (wilderness), where she has a retreat prepared [for her] by God, in which she is to be fed and kept safe for 1,260 days (42 months; three and one-half years).7  Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels went forth to battle with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought.8  But they were defeated, and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer.9  And the huge dragon was cast down and out--that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him. 10  Then I heard a strong (loud) voice in heaven, saying, Now it has come--the salvation and the power and the kingdom (the dominion, the reign) of our God, and the power (the sovereignty, the authority) of His Christ (the Messiah); for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out! 11  And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].12  Therefore be glad (exult), O heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury), because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]! 13  And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male Child.14  But the woman was supplied with the two wings of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent into the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260 days). 15  Then out of his mouth the serpent spouted forth water like a flood after the woman, that she might be carried off with the torrent.16  But the earth came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spouted from his mouth.17  So then the dragon was furious (enraged) at the woman, and he went away to wage war on the remainder of her descendants--[on those] who obey God’s commandments and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ [and adhere to it and bear witness to Him].

Revelation 12

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

1 Thent 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.s2 Shet was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, strugglingt to give birth.3 Thent another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns.ts4 Nowt the dragon’st tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Thent 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 Sot the woman gave birth to a son, a male child,t who is going to ruletover all the nationstwith an iron rod.ts Hert child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne,

6 and shet fled into the wildernesst where a place had been prepared for hert by God, so she could be taken care oft for 1,260 days.

War in Heaven

7 Thent war broke out in heaven: Michaels and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.8 Butt the dragon was not strong enough to prevail,t so there was no longer any place leftt in heaven for him and his angels.t9 Sot 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 Thent I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authorityt of his Christ,t have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,t
the one who accuses them day and nightt before our God,
has been thrown down.

11 Butt they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their livess so much that they were afraid to die.

12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
Butt woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
Het is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”
13 Nowt when the dragon realizedt that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.14 Butt the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness,t to the place Godt prepared for her, where she is taken care of – away from the presence of the serpent – for a time, times, and half a time.ss15 Thent the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt tot sweep her away by a flood,16 butt the earth came to her rescue;t the ground opened upt and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.17 Sot the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children,t those who keept God’s commandments and hold tot the testimony about Jesus.t

18 And the dragont stoods on the sandt of the seashore.s