12:1 Then¹ a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. 12:2 She² was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling³ to give birth. 12:3 Then⁴ another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns.⁵ 12:4 Now⁶ the dragon’s⁷ tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then⁸ the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 12:5 So⁹ the woman gave birth to a son, a male child,¹⁰ who is going to rule¹¹ over all the nations¹² with an iron rod.¹³ Her¹⁴ child was taken up to God and to his throne, 12:6 and she¹⁵ fled into the wilderness¹⁶ where a place had been prepared for her¹⁷ by God, so they¹⁸ can take care of her for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

12:7 Then¹⁹ war broke out in heaven: Michael²⁰ and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 12:8 But²¹ the dragon was not strong enough to prevail,²² so there was no longer any place left²³ in heaven for him and his angels.²⁴ 12:9 So²⁵ that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 12:10 Then²⁶ I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority²⁷ of his Christ,²⁸ have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers,²⁹
the one who accuses them day and night³⁰ before our God,
has been thrown down.
12:11 But³¹ they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives³² even to the point of death.
12:12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But³³ woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He³⁴ is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”

12:13 Now³⁵ when the dragon realized³⁶ that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 12:14 But³⁷ the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness,³⁸ to the place God³⁹ prepared for her, where she is taken care of—away from the presence of the serpent—for a time, times, and half a time.⁴⁰ 12:15 Then⁴¹ the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to⁴² sweep her away by a flood, 12:16 but⁴³ the earth came to her rescue;⁴⁴ the ground opened up⁴⁵ and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 12:17 So⁴⁶ the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children,⁴⁷ those who keep⁴⁸ God’s commandments and hold to⁴⁹ the testimony about Jesus.⁵⁰ 12:18 And the dragon⁵¹ stood on the sand⁵² at the sea’s edge.⁵³