Revelation, 12

1. A great 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 and cried out in pain, looking to her time of delivery.

3. Then another sign appeared: a huge, red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and wearing seven crowns on its heads.

4. It had just swept along a third of the stars of heaven with its tail, throwing them down to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour the child as soon as it was born.

5. She gave birth to a male child, the one who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter; then her child was seized and taken up to God and to his throne

6. while the woman fled to the desert where God had prepared a place for her; there she would be looked after for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

7. War broke out in heaven with Michael and his angels battling with the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels,

8. but they were defeated and lost their place in heaven.

9. The great dragon, the ancient serpent known as the devil or Satan, seducer of the whole world, was thrown out. He was hurled down to earth, together with his angels.

10. Then I heard a loud voice from heaven: Now has salvation come, with the power and the kingdom of our God, and the rule of his anointed. For our brothers' accuser has been cast out, who accused them night and day, before God.

11. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they gave up their lives going to death.

12. Rejoice, therefore, O you heavens and you who dwell in them; but woe to you, earth and sea, for the devil has come to you in anger knowing that he has but a little time.

13. When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

14. Then the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly into the desert where she would be looked after for three and a half years.

15. The serpent poured water out of his mouth after the woman, to carry her away in the flood,

16. but the earth came to her rescue: it opened its mouth and swallowed the flood which the dragon had poured from its mouth.

17. Then the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war on the rest of her children, those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus.

18. And he stood on the seashore.