1A great sign12:1 Or great symbolic display; see Rv 12:3 appeared in heaven:12:1 Mt 24:30 a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.12:1 Gn 37:9–10

2She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.12:2 Ps 48:6; Is 13:8; Jr 22:23

3Then another sign12:3 Or another symbolic display appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon12:3 Rv 13:2,4,11; 20:2 having seven heads and ten horns,12:3 Dn 7:7,20,24; Rv 13:1; 17:3–18 and on its heads were seven crowns.12:3 Or diadems

4Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.12:4 Dn 8:10; Rv 8:7,12 And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.12:4 Mt 2:16

5She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule12:5 Or shepherd all nations with an iron rod.12:5 Ps 2:7–9; Rv 2:27; 19:15 Her child was caught up to God and to his throne.

6The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,12:6 Ex 16:4; 1Kg 19:3–8; Hs 2:14 to be nourished there12:6 Or God, that they might feed her there for 1,260 days.12:6 Dt 1:31; 2:7; Dn 12:11; Rv 11:2–3; 12:14; 13:5

7Then war broke out in heaven: Michael12:7 Dn 10:13,21; 12:1; Jd 9 and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought,

8but he could not prevail,12:8 1Sm 2:9; Ps 21:11; Jr 20:11 and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.12:8 Jb 2:1

9So the great dragon was thrown out — the ancient serpent,12:9 Gn 3:1 who is called the devil and Satan,12:9 Lk 10:18; Rm 16:20; Rv 2:9; 3:9; 20:2,7 the one who deceives the whole world.12:9 Rv 13:14; 20:3,8,10 He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.12:9 Mt 25:41; Lk 10:18; Jn 12:31

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

13When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted12:13 Or pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

14The woman was given two wings of a great eagle,12:14 Ex 19:4; Dt 32:10–11; Is 40:31 so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.12:14 Dn 7:25; 12:7; Rv 11:2; 13:5

15From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.

16But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.

17So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war12:17 Rv 11:7; 13:7 against the rest of her offspring12:17 Or seed12:17 Gn 3:15 — those who keep the commands of God12:17 1Co 7:19 and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.12:17 Rv 1:2,9; 19:10; 20:4

18The dragon12:18 Or he; other mss read I stood on the sand of the sea.12:18 Some translations put Rv 12:18 either in Rv 12:17 or Rv 13:1.