The Woman and the Dragon 1 UDB Then something very important appeared in the sky. It was a woman, whose clothing was the sun. The moon was under her feet. On her head was a wreath of victory that was made of twelve stars. BSB BSB: And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
2 UDB She was about to deliver a child, and she cried out because she was suffering pain. BSB BSB: She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth.
3 UDB Something else very unusual appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon. It had seven heads and ten horns. On each of its heads was a royal crown. BSB BSB: Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads.
4 UDB The dragon's tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and threw them to the earth. The dragon set himself in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that he might eat her child as soon as it was born. BSB BSB: His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, hurling them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth.
5 UDB Then she gave birth to a son who is destined to rule all the nations with complete authority as if he were using an iron rod. God snatched away her child and took him to his throne. BSB BSB: And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
6 UDB But the woman fled into the wilderness. She has a place there that God has prepared for her so that he may take care of her for 1,260 days. BSB BSB: And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.
The War in Heaven 7 UDB Then there was a battle in heaven. Michael and the angels that he commanded fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back against Michael and his angels. BSB BSB: Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
8 UDB But the dragon did not win the battle; nor did God allow the dragon and his angels to stay in heaven any longer. BSB BSB: But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels.
9 UDB Instead, God threw the huge dragon out of heaven. The dragon is the ancient serpent, the one whose names are the Devil and Satan. He is the one who deceives people all over the earth. He was thrown to the earth along with all his angels. BSB BSB: And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 UDB Then I heard someone in heaven shout loudly, "Now our God has saved his people by his power, and he rules all people! Now Christ has begun to rule! This is because God has thrown the accuser of our fellow believers out of heaven. He was the one who stood before God day and night and told him that they had done what is wrong. BSB BSB: And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down—he who accuses them day and night before our God.
11 UDB Our fellow believers defeated him because the Lamb had shed his blood and died for them and because they spoke the truth about him to other people. They did not seek to remain alive, but were willing to let people kill them for speaking the truth about him. BSB BSB: They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
12 UDB So everyone in heaven should rejoice. But terrible things will happen to you people who live on the earth and on the ocean because the devil has come down to you. He is very angry because he knows that he has only a short time before God judges and punishes him." BSB BSB: Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.”
The Woman Persecuted 13 UDB When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to a son. BSB BSB: And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
14 UDB But God gave to the woman two wings like the wings of a very large eagle so that she might fly into the wilderness. There is a place there that God had prepared for her. There God took care of her for three and one-half years. The serpent—that is, the dragon—was not able to reach her there. BSB BSB: But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
15 UDB Then the serpent poured water like a river from his mouth toward the woman in order to sweep her away with the water. BSB BSB: Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent.
16 UDB But the ground helped the woman by opening up and swallowing the river that the dragon poured out from his mouth. BSB BSB: But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
17 UDB Then the dragon was very angry with the woman, so he went away to fight against the rest of her descendants. They are the people who obey God's commandments and who speak the truth about Jesus. Then the dragon stood on the ocean shore. BSB BSB: And the dragon was enraged at the woman and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.