The Woman and the Dragon
1 Something important appeared in the sky. It was a woman whose clothes were the sun. The moon was under her feet, and a crown made of twelve stars was on her head. 2 She was about to give birth, and she was crying because of the great pain.
3 Something else appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and a crown on each of its seven heads. 4 With its tail, it dragged a third of the stars from the sky and threw them down to the earth. Then the dragon turned toward the woman, because it wanted to eat her child as soon as it was born.
5 The woman gave birth to a son, who would rule all nations with an iron rod. The boy was snatched away. He was taken to God and placed on his throne. 6 The woman ran into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Michael Fights the Dragon
7 A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels. 8 But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven 9 and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan. 10 Then I heard a voice from heaven shout,
“Our God has shown
his saving power,
and his kingdom has come!
God's own Chosen One
has shown his authority.
Satan accused our people
in the presence of God
day and night.
Now he has been thrown out!
11 “Our people defeated Satan
because of the blood
of the Lamb
and the message of God.
They were willing
to give up their lives.
12 “The heavens should rejoice,
together with everyone
who lives there.
But pity the earth
and the sea,
because the devil
was thrown down
to the earth.
He knows his time is short,
and he is very angry.”
13 When the dragon realized it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. 14 But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time.
15 The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. 16 But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. 17 This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught. 18 The dragon stood on the beach beside the sea.
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heauen: A woman clothed with the sunne, and the moone was vnder her feete, and vpon her head a crowne of twelue starres. 2 And she was with childe, and cried traueiling in birth, and was pained readie to be deliuered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaue: for beholde, a great red dragon hauing seuen heads, and ten hornes, and seuen crownes vpon his heads: 4 And his taile drew the thirde part of the starres of heauen, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be deliuered, to deuoure her childe, when shee had brought it foorth. 5 So shee brought foorth a man childe, which should rule all nations with a rod of yron: and that her childe was taken vp vnto God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into wildernes where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feede her there a thousande, two hundreth and three score dayes. 7 And there was a battell in heauen, Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels. 8 But they preuailed not, neither was their place found any more in heauen. 9 And the great dragon, that olde serpent, called the deuil and Satan, was cast out, which deceiueth all the world: he was euen cast into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 Then I heard a loude voyce in heauen, saying, Now is saluation, and strength, and the kingdome of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast downe, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 But they ouercame him by that blood of that Lambe, and by that worde of their testimonie, and they loued not their liues vnto the death. 12 Therefore reioyce, ye heauens, and ye that dwell in them. Wo to the inhabitants of the earth, and of the sea: for the deuill is come downe vnto you, which hath great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon sawe that hee was cast vnto the earth, he persecuted the woman which had brought forth the man childe. 14 But to the woman were giuen two wings of a great eagle, that she might flie into the wildernes, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and halfe a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water after the woman, like a flood, that he might cause her to be caried away of the flood. 16 But the earth holpe the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swalowed vp the flood, which the dragon had cast out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went and made warre with the remnant of her seede, which keepe the comaundements of God, and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. 18 And I stood on the sea sand.