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 appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun; and the moon was under her feet, and on her head was 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, being with child, she cried out in travail, and in the pains of delivery.
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 appeared another sign in heaven; and behold, a great dragon, fiery-red, that had seven heads, and ten horns: and on 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 drew along the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that, when she had brought forth, he might 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 brought forth a male child, that was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught away to God, even to 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 has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there for a thousand two hundred and sixty 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 fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
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 prevailed not: nor 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, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world, was cast into the earth, and his angels were cast out 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 has come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren, he that accused them before our God day and night, is cast down.
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 by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives even to 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 you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Alas for the land and for the sea! for the devil has come down to you with great anger, because he knows that he has 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 into the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the male 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 two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, away from the presence 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 threw out of his mouth water like a river, after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.
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 that the dragon threw 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 was angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her children, that keep the commandments of God, and that hold the testimony of Jesus.
