The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

1A great signA 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 2She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.a 3Then another signA appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragona having seven heads and ten horns,b and on its heads were seven crowns.B 4Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.a 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.b 5She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to ruleA all nations with an iron rod.a Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,a to be nourished thereA for 1,260 days.b

The Dragon Thrown Out of Heaven

7Then war broke out in heaven: Michaela and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, 8but he could not prevail,a and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.b 9So the great dragon was thrown out — the ancient serpent,a who is called the devil and Satan,b the one who deceives the whole world.c He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.d 10Then 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,a

because the accuserb of our brothers and sisters,

who accuses them

before our God day and night,

has been thrown down.

11They conquered him

by the blood of the Lamba

and by the word of their testimony;b

for they did not love their lives

to the point of death.c

12Therefore rejoice, you heavens,

and you who dwell in them!a

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

13When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecutedA the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14The woman was given two wings of a great eagle,a 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.b 15From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage wara against the rest of her offspringa b — those who keep the commands of Godc and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.d

The Beast from the Sea

[18] The dragonA stood on the sand of the sea.B