Revelation 12
1 Then something very unusual appeared in the sky. It was a woman, whose [appearance and] clothing were [MET] as bright as the sun. The moon was under her feet. On her head was a crown [that was made] of twelve stars.
And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars;
2 She was pregnant. Then, as she was about to give birth, she cried out because she was suffering pain.
and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.
3 Something else very unusual appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon. It had seven heads and ten horns. On each of its heads was a royal crown.
And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.
4 The dragon’s tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and threw them to the earth. The dragon set himself in front of the woman who was about to give birth, in order that he might eat her child as soon as it was born.
And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.
5 The woman gave birth to a son, who [is destined] to rule all the nations with [complete authority as if he was using] [MET] an iron rod [MET]. [God] snatched away her child and took him to [rule from] his throne.
And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne.
6 The woman fled to a desert. She has a place there that God has prepared for her, in order that [the angels] may take care of her for 1,260 days.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 [In the vision I saw that] there was a battle in heaven. Michael and the angels that he [commanded] fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back [against Michael and his angels].
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels [going forth] to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;
8 But the dragon did not win the battle, so [God] did not allow the dragon and his angels to stay in heaven any longer.
and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 The huge dragon was thrown {[Michael and his angels] threw the huge dragon} out [of heaven]. The dragon is the ancient serpent, [the one] who is called the Devil and Satan. He is the one who deceives [people all over] the earth. He was thrown down to the earth, along with all his angels.
And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
10 Then I heard [someone] in heaven shout loudly, saying, Now our God has saved his people by his power, and he rules everyone! Now the Messiah, the one who is the supreme ruler whom God appointed, has authority to rule all people, because our God has thrown out of heaven the one who accuses our fellow believers! The dragon is the one who accuses them day and night before our God, saying that they have sinned and that God ought to punish them.
And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.
11 Our fellow believers overcame the dragon because they never stopped trusting (OR, never stopped telling people about) Jesus, and because they trusted in what Jesus, the one who is like a lamb, accomplished when his blood flowed when he died. Even though those believers wanted to live, they were willing to let people kill them for speaking the truth about him.
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
12 So, all you angels living [MTY] in heaven, rejoice! But terrible things will happen to you ungodly people who [MTY] live on the earth and on the ocean, because the devil has come down to you! He is very angry because he knows that he has only a short time during which he can harm people.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown {that [the angels] had thrown him} down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to a son.
And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man [child].
14 But the woman was given two wings like the wings of a very large eagle, in order that she might fly to a desolate place. That is a place [that God] has prepared for her. There she was taken care of {[God’s angels] took care of her} for three and a half years. The serpent, [that is, the dragon], was not able to reach her there.
And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 The serpent spewed water like a river from his mouth in the direction of the woman, in order that the water might sweep her away.
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
16 But the ground helped the woman [by] opening up and swallowing the river that the dragon spewed out from his mouth!
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 Then the dragon was very angry with the woman, so he went away to fight against [the people who are like] the rest of her descendants. They are the people who obey God’s commandments and who tell other people about Jesus (OR, hold fast to what Jesus taught them).
And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
