Offenbarung 12 | King James Version

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

King James Bible (1769). Public Domain. Please note the following exceptions for use and publication in the United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press

New International Reader’s Version

The woman and the dragon

1 A great sign appeared in heaven. It was a woman wearing the sun like clothes. The moon was under her feet. On her head she wore a crown of 12 stars.

2 She was pregnant. She cried out in pain because she was about to have a baby.

3 Then another sign appeared in heaven. It was a huge red dragon. It had seven heads and ten horns. On its seven heads it wore seven crowns.

4 The dragon’s tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky. It threw the stars down to earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to have a baby. The dragon wanted to eat her child the moment he was born.

5 She gave birth to a son. He ‘will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre.’ And her child was taken up to God and to his throne.

6 The woman escaped into the desert where God had a place prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for 1,260 days.

7 Then a war began in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back.

8 But the dragon wasn’t strong enough. Both he and his angels lost their place in heaven.

9 The great dragon was thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him. The dragon is that old snake called the devil, or Satan. He leads the whole world astray.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven. It said, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God have come. The authority of his Messiah has come. Satan, who brings charges against our brothers and sisters, has been thrown down. He brings charges against them in front of our God day and night.

11 They had victory over him by the blood the Lamb spilled for them. They had victory over him by speaking the truth about Jesus to others. They were willing to risk their lives, even if it led to death.

12 So be joyful, you heavens! Be glad, all you who live there! But how terrible it will be for the earth and the sea! The devil has come down to you. He is very angry. He knows his time is short.’

13 The dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth. So he chased the woman who had given birth to the boy.

14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle. She was given these wings so that she could fly away. She could fly to the place prepared for her in the desert. There she would be taken care of for three and a half years. She would be out of the snake’s reach.

15 Then out of his mouth the snake spat water like a river. He wanted to catch the woman and sweep her away in the flood.

16 But the earth helped the woman. It opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had spat out.

17 The dragon was very angry with the woman. He went off to make war against the rest of her children. They obey God’s commands. And they hold firmly to the truth they have said about Jesus.

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