A dragon and two beasts

The woman and the dragon

1Something important appeared in the sky. It was a woman whose clothes were the sun. The moon was under her feet, and a crown made of twelve stars was on her head. 2She was about to give birth, and she was crying because of the great pain.

3Something else appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and a crown on each of its seven heads.12.3: Dn 7.7. 4With its tail, it dragged a third of the stars from the sky and threw them down to the earth. Then the dragon turned towards the woman, because it wanted to eat her child as soon as it was born.12.4: Dn 8.10.

5The woman gave birth to a son, who would rule all nations with an iron rod. The boy was snatched away. He was taken to God and placed on his throne.12.5: a Is 66.7; b Ps 2.9. 6The woman ran into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Michael fights the dragon

7A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels.12.7: Dn 10.13,21; 12.1; Jd 9. 8But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven 9and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan.12.9: a Gn 3.1; b Lk 10.18. 10Then I heard a voice from heaven shout,12.10: Job 1.9-11; Zec 3.1.

“Our God has shown

his saving power,

and his kingdom has come!

God's own Chosen One

has shown his authority.

Satan accused our people

in the presence of God

day and night.

Now he has been thrown out!

11Our people defeated Satan

because of the blood12.11 blood: Or “death”.

of the Lamb

and the message of God.

They were willing

to give up their lives.

12The heavens should rejoice,

together with everyone

who lives there.

But pity the earth

and the sea,

because the devil

was thrown down

to the earth.

He knows his time is short,

and he is very angry.”

13When the dragon realized that it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. 14But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so that she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time.12.14: Dn 7.25; 12.7.

15The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. 16But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. 17This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught. 18The dragon12.18 The dragon: The text has “he”, and some manuscripts have “I”. stood on the beach beside the sea.