The Woman and the Dragon 1 UST Then something very significant appeared in the sky. It was a woman who was wearing the sun as her clothing. She was standing on the moon. On her head was a crown that was made of 12 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 UST She was about to have a baby. She was screaming in pain because it was so difficult to deliver her baby. BSB BSB: She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth.
3 UST Then something else significant appeared in the sky. It was a huge red dragon. It had seven heads and ten horns. It had a royal crown on each of its heads. 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 UST The dragon’ s tail dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them onto the earth. The dragon set himself in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that he could eat her child as soon as he 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 UST Then the woman gave birth to a son. He is destined to rule all groups of people with complete authority. God snatched away this child{ for safety} and brought him up to his throne in heaven. 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 UST But the woman fled to a desolate region. God had made a place ready for her there where people would 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 UST Then a battle began in heaven. Michael and the angels 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 UST But the dragon lost the battle, and God did not allow the dragon and his angels to stay in heaven after that. BSB BSB: But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels.
9 UST Instead, God threw the huge dragon out of heaven. That dragon is the same evil spirit who appeared as a serpent long ago. His names are the Devil and Satan. He deceives everyone who lives in the world. God threw him and all of his angels down to the earth. 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 UST Then I heard someone in heaven shout loudly,“Now our God has saved his people by his power, and he rules all people! Now his Messiah has begun to rule! This is because God has thrown the accuser of our fellow believers out of heaven. He was continually coming to God and accusing believers of doing wrong things. 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 UST But our fellow believers overcame him. This is because the Lamb shed his blood as a sacrifice for them and because they spoke the truth about him to other people. They did not want just to stay alive. They were willing to die if necessary 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 UST So all of you living in heaven should rejoice! But terrible things will happen to you people who live on the earth and travel on the ocean because the devil is now among 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 UST When the dragon realized that God had thrown him down to the earth, he tried to attack 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 UST But God gave the woman two wings like the wings of a very large eagle. These enabled her to fly away to a desolate region. God had prepared a safe place for her there. In that place, 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 UST Then the serpent poured a flood of water out of his mouth toward the woman. He was trying 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 UST But the ground helped the woman. The ground opened up a big hole and the flood that the dragon poured out from his mouth went down into the hole. 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 UST Then the dragon was very angry with the woman, so he went away to fight against the rest of her children. 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.