Revelation

Revelation 12

The Woman and the Dragon

1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon underneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, 2 and having in the womb; and she cries out, in labor and in agony to give birth.

3 And another sign was seen in heaven, and look — a great fiery-red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems, 4 and his tail drags the third of the stars of heaven, and he threw them to the earth. And the dragon has stood before the woman who is about to give birth, so that when she gives birth he might devour her child.

5 And she bore a son, a male, who is going to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was snatched away to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has there a place prepared by God, so that there they may feed her a thousand two hundred and sixty days.

War in Heaven

7 And there came to be war in heaven: Michael and his messengers, to make war with the dragon. And the dragon made war, and his messengers, 8 and he was not strong enough, nor was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down — the ancient serpent, the one called the Accuser, and Satan, the one deceiving the whole inhabited world — he was thrown to the earth, and his messengers were thrown with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying:

“Now the rescue has come, and the power

and the kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Christ,

because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down,

the one accusing them before our God day and night.

11 And they conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb

and because of the word of their testimony,

and they did not love their life as far as death.

12 Because of this, be glad, you heavens

and you who dwell in them!

Woe to the earth and to the sea,

because the Accuser has come down to you

having great fury,

knowing that he has little time.”

The Dragon Pursues the Woman

13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who bore the male. 14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is fed there a time and times and half a time, away from the face of the serpent.

15 And the serpent threw water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might make her carried off by the river. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon threw out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, with those who keep the commands of God and hold the testimony of Jesus. 18 And he stood on the sand of the sea.