Revelation 12

Then something very significant appeared in the sky. It was a woman who was wearing the sun as her clothing. She was standing on the moon. On her head was a crown that was made of 12 stars.

She was about to have a baby. She was screaming in pain because it was so difficult to deliver her baby. \*

Then something else significant appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon. It had seven heads and ten horns. It had a royal crown on each of its heads.

The dragon’s tail dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them onto the earth. The dragon set himself in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that he could eat her child as soon as he was born. \*

Then the woman gave birth to a son. He is destined to rule all groups of people with complete authority. God snatched away this child {for safety} and brought him up to his throne in heaven.

But the woman fled to a desolate region. God had made a place ready for her there where people would take care of her for 1, 260 days. \*

Then a battle began in heaven. Michael and the angels he commanded fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back {against Michael and his angels}.

But the dragon lost the battle, and God did not allow the dragon and his angels to stay in heaven after that.

Instead, God threw the huge dragon out of heaven. That dragon is the same evil spirit who appeared as a serpent long ago. His names are the Devil and Satan. He deceives everyone who lives in the world. God threw him and all of his angels down to the earth. \*

Then I heard someone in heaven shout loudly, “Now our God has saved his people by his power, and he rules all people! Now his Messiah has begun to rule! This is because God has thrown the accuser of our fellow believers out of heaven. He was continually coming to God and accusing believers of doing wrong things. \* 11 But our fellow believers overcame him. This is because the Lamb shed his blood as a sacrifice for them and because they spoke the truth about him to other people. They did not want just to stay alive. They were willing to die if necessary for speaking the truth about him. 12 So all of you living in heaven should rejoice! But terrible things will happen to you people who live on the earth and travel on the ocean because the devil is now among you. He is very angry because he knows that he has only a short time before God judges and punishes him.” \*

When the dragon realized that God had thrown him down to the earth, he tried to attack the woman who had given birth to a son.

But God gave the woman two wings like the wings of a very large eagle. These enabled her to fly away to a desolate region. God had prepared a safe place for her there. In that place, God took care of her for three and one-half years. The serpent{, that is, the dragon,} was not able to reach her there. \*

Then the serpent poured a flood of water out of his mouth toward the woman. He was trying to sweep her away with the water.

But the ground helped the woman. The ground opened up a big hole and the flood that the dragon poured out from his mouth went down into the hole.

Then the dragon was very angry with the woman, so he went away to fight against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God’s commandments and who speak the truth about Jesus.

Then the dragon stood on the ocean shore. \*