妇人与巨龙

12 在天上出现了一个奇异的景象:有一个妇人,身披太阳,脚踏月亮,头戴有十二颗星的冠冕。 她怀了孕,正因产痛而呼叫。

这时天上出现了另一个奇异的景象:有一条红色巨龙出现,它有七头十角,每个头上都戴着冠冕。 它的尾巴将天上三分之一的星扫落到地上。巨龙站在那正要生产的妇人面前,等着要吃掉她生下来的婴孩。 妇人生下一个男婴,就是将来要用铁杖治理列国的。那男婴被提到了上帝的宝座那里, 妇人则逃到旷野,在上帝为她预备的地方安度一千二百六十天。

天上起了战争,米迦勒和他的天使出战巨龙。巨龙和它的天使极力抵抗, 那巨龙败下阵来,天上再没有它们的立足之地, 它和它的天使都一同从天上被摔到地上。巨龙就是那古蛇,又名魔鬼或撒旦,也就是那迷惑全人类的。

10 我听见天上有大响声说:“我们上帝的救赎、权能、国度和祂所立的基督的权柄现在来临了。因为那昼夜不停地在我们上帝面前控告我们弟兄的,已经被摔到地上了。 11 弟兄们是靠着羔羊的血和自己所见证的道战胜了它,他们甘愿牺牲,视死如归。 12 因此,诸天和其中的居民都要欢欣雀跃!但大地和海洋有祸了,因为魔鬼知道它的时日不多了,就怒气冲冲地下到你们那里。”

13 巨龙见自己被摔到地上,就迫害那先前产下男婴的妇人。 14 但那妇人得到一对巨鹰的翅膀,使她能飞到旷野,去上帝为她预备的地方避难,在那里被照顾三年半。 15 巨龙紧追不舍,张口吐出大量的水,如同江河一般,要冲走那妇人, 16 大地却帮助她,张口吞了巨龙口中吐出来的大水。 17 巨龙大怒,转而攻击她的其他儿女,就是那些坚守上帝的诫命、为耶稣做见证的人。 18 那时巨龙站在海边的沙地上。

The Woman and the Dragon

12 A great sign(A) appeared in heaven:(B) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars(C) on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain(D) as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven:(E) an enormous red dragon(F) with seven heads(G) and ten horns(H) and seven crowns(I) on its heads. Its tail swept a third(J) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.(K) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child(L) the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a](M) And her child was snatched up(N) to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.(O)

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael(P) and his angels fought against the dragon,(Q) and the dragon and his angels(R) fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(S) called the devil,(T) or Satan,(U) who leads the whole world astray.(V) He was hurled to the earth,(W) and his angels with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven(X) say:

“Now have come the salvation(Y) and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,(Z)
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over(AA) him
    by the blood of the Lamb(AB)
    and by the word of their testimony;(AC)
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.(AD)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens(AE)
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe(AF) to the earth and the sea,(AG)
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon(AH) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(AI) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(AJ) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(AK) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent(AL) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war(AM) against the rest of her offspring(AN)—those who keep God’s commands(AO) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9

12 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.