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.
Then an amazing sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
2 She was pregnant. Then, as she was about to give birth, she cried out because she was suffering pain.
She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains, groaning as she was giving birth.
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.
Another sign appeared in heaven: a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven small crowns on his heads.
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.
His tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them down to the earth. The dragon stood right in front of the woman who was giving birth, so that he could eat her child as soon as it was born.
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.
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all nations with an iron rod. Her son was snatched up to God and 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.
The woman ran away into the desert, where God had prepared a place for her, so that she could be looked after for 1,260 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].
There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. 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.
but he was not strong enough, and they could no longer remain 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.
The great dragon, the ancient serpent called the Devil and Satan who deceives the whole world, was thrown down to the earth, and his angels 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.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now salvation has come, and power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. The Accuser of the believers has been thrown down—the one who accuses them in God's presence 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.
They conquered him through the blood of the Lamb and through their personal testimony—they did not love their lives so much that they were willing to die if necessary.
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.
So celebrate, heaven, and everyone who lives there! Mourn, earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you and is very angry, knowing his time is short.”
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.
When the dragon realized he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that had given birth to 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.
The woman was given the wings of a large eagle so she could fly away to a deserted place where she could be looked after for a time, times, and half a time, protected from 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.
The serpent spewed water like a river out of his mouth, trying to sweep her away in the flood.
16 But the ground helped the woman [by] opening up and swallowing the river that the dragon spewed out from his mouth!
The earth came to the woman's aid by opening its mouth and swallowing up the river that the dragon spewed 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).
The dragon was furious with the woman, and went off to attack the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus.
