The Woman and the Dragon
1
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman 1clothed with 2the sun, with 3the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
2
She was pregnant and 4was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.
3
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great 5red dragon, 6with seven heads and 7ten horns, and on his heads 8seven diadems.
4
His tail swept down 9a third of the stars of heaven and 10cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child 11he might devour it.
5
She gave birth to a male child, 12one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was 13caught up to God and to his throne,
6
and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 14 1,260 days.
Satan Thrown Down to Earth
7
Now war arose in heaven, 15Michael and 16his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
8
but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9
And 17the great dragon was thrown down, 18that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, 19the deceiver of the whole world--20he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now 21the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothersa has been thrown down, 22who accuses them day and night before our God.
11
And 23they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for 24they loved not their lives 25even unto death.
12
Therefore, 26rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But 27woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because 28he knows that his time is short!"
13
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued 29the woman who had given birth to the male child.
14
But the woman was given the two 30wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent 31into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished 32for a time, and times, and half a time.
15
The serpent poured water 33like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
16
But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)