The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. ² Then being with child, she cried out ^(A)in labor and in pain to give birth.

³ And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, ^(B)a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ^4 (C)His tail drew a third ^(D)of the stars of heaven ^(E)and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood ^(F)before the woman who was ready to give birth, ^(G)to devour her Child as soon as it was born. ⁵ She bore a male Child ^(H)who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was ^(I)caught up to God and His throne. ⁶ Then ^(J)the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there ^(K)one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Satan Thrown Out of Heaven

⁷ And war broke out in heaven: ^(L)Michael and his angels fought ^(M)with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they ^[a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for ^[b]them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So ^(N)the great dragon was cast out, ^(O)that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, ^(P)who deceives the whole world; ^(Q)he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ^(R)“Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, ^(S)who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. ¹¹ And ^(T)they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, ^(U)and they did not love their lives to the death. ¹² Therefore ^(V)rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! ^(W)Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, ^(X)because he knows that he has a short time.”

The Woman Persecuted

¹³ Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted ^(Y)the woman who gave birth to the male Child. ^14 (Z)But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, ^(AA)that she might fly ^(AB)into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished ^(AC)for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. ¹⁵ So the serpent ^(AD)spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus ^[c]Christ.

The Beast from the Sea

13 Then ^[d]I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw ^(AE)a beast rising up out of the sea, ^(AF)having ^[e]seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a ^(AG)blasphemous name. ² Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The ^(AH)dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ And I saw one of his heads ^(AI)as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And ^(AJ)all the world marveled and followed the beast. ⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ^(AK)“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

⁵ And he was given ^(AL)a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to ^[f]continue for ^(AM)forty-two months. ⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, ^(AN)His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was granted to him ^(AO)to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And ^(AP)authority was given him over every ^[g]tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, ^(AQ)whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain ^(AR)from the foundation of the world.

^9 (AS)If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ^10 (AT)He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; ^(AU)he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. ^(AV)Here is the ^[h]patience and the faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw another beast ^(AW)coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. ¹² And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, ^(AX)whose deadly wound was healed. ^13 (AY)He performs great signs, ^(AZ)so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ^14 (BA)And he deceives ^[i]those who dwell on the earth ^(BB)by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword ^(BC)and lived. ¹⁵ He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak ^(BD)and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, ^(BE)to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has ^[j]the mark or ^(BF)the name of the beast, ^(BG)or the number of his name.

^18 (BH)Here is wisdom. Let him who has ^(BI)understanding calculate ^(BJ)the number of the beast, ^(BK)for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17 Then ^(A)one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying ^[a]to me, “Come, ^(B)I will show you the judgment of ^(C)the great harlot ^(D)who sits on many waters, ^2 (E)with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and ^(F)the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

³ So he carried me away in the Spirit ^(G)into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting ^(H)on a scarlet beast which was full of ^(I)names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman ^(J)was arrayed in purple and scarlet, ^(K)and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, ^(L)having in her hand a golden cup ^(M)full of abominations and the filthiness of ^[b]her fornication. ⁵ And on her forehead a name was written:

^(N)MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

⁶ I saw ^(O)the woman, drunk ^(P)with the blood of the saints and with the blood of ^(Q)the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast

⁷ But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the ^[c]mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. ⁸ The beast that you saw was, and is not, and ^(R)will ascend out of the bottomless pit and ^(S)go to ^[d]perdition. And those who ^(T)dwell on the earth ^(U)will marvel, ^(V)whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and ^[e]yet is.

^9 (W)“Here is the mind which has wisdom: ^(X)The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must ^(Y)continue a short time. ¹¹ The ^(Z)beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to ^[f]perdition.

^12 (AA)“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. ¹³ These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. ^14 (AB)These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will ^(AC)overcome them, ^(AD)for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; ^(AE)and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

¹⁵ Then he said to me, ^(AF)“The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, ^(AG)are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. ¹⁶ And the ten horns which you ^[g]saw on the beast, ^(AH)these will hate the harlot, make her ^(AI)desolate ^(AJ)and naked, eat her flesh and ^(AK)burn her with fire. ^17 (AL)For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, ^(AM)until the words of God are fulfilled. ¹⁸ And the woman whom you saw ^(AN)is that great city ^(AO)which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

The Fall of Babylon the Great

18 After^(AP) these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, ^(AQ)and the earth was illuminated with his glory. ² And he cried ^[h]mightily with a loud voice, saying, ^(AR)“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and ^(AS)has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and ^(AT)a cage for every unclean and hated bird! ³ For all the nations ^(AU)have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, ^(AV)and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the ^[i]abundance of her luxury.”

⁴ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ^(AW)“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. ^5 (AX)For her sins ^[j]have reached to heaven, and ^(AY)God has remembered her iniquities. ^6 (AZ)Render to her just as she rendered ^[k]to you, and repay her double according to her works; ^(BA)in the cup which she has mixed, ^(BB)mix double for her. ^7 (BC)In the measure that she glorified herself and lived ^[l]luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as ^(BD)queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ ⁸ Therefore her plagues will come ^(BE)in one day—death and mourning and famine. And ^(BF)she will be utterly burned with fire, ^(BG)for strong is the Lord God who ^[m]judges her.

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

^9 (BH)“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her ^(BI)will weep and lament for her, ^(BJ)when they see the smoke of her burning, ¹⁰ standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ^(BK)‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! ^(BL)For in one hour your judgment has come.’

¹¹ “And ^(BM)the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: ^12 (BN)merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; ¹³ and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and ^(BO)souls of men. ¹⁴ The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have ^[n]gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. ¹⁵ The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, ¹⁶ and saying, ‘Alas, alas, ^(BP)that great city ^(BQ)that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! ^17 (BR)For in one hour such great riches ^[o]came to nothing.’ ^(BS)Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance ^18 (BT)and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ^(BU)‘What is like this great city?’

^19 (BV)“They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! ^(BW)For in one hour she ^[p]is made desolate.’

^20 (BX)“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you ^[q]holy apostles and prophets, for ^(BY)God has avenged you on her!”

Finality of Babylon’s Fall

²¹ Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ^(BZ)“Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and ^(CA)shall not be found anymore. ^22 (CB)The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. ^23 (CC)The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, ^(CD)and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For ^(CE)your merchants were the great men of the earth, ^(CF)for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. ²⁴ And ^(CG)in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who ^(CH)were slain on the earth.”

Heaven Exults over Babylon

19 After these things ^(CI)I ^[r]heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! ^(CJ)Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to ^[s]the Lord our God! ² For ^(CK)true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He ^(CL)has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” ³ Again they said, “Alleluia! ^(CM)Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” ⁴ And ^(CN)the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ^(CO)“Amen! Alleluia!” ⁵ Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ^(CP)“Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, ^(CQ)both^[t] small and great!”

^6 (CR)And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For ^(CS)the^[u] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! ⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for ^(CT)the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” ⁸ And ^(CU)to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, ^(CV)for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

⁹ Then he said to me, “Write: ^(CW)‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, ^(CX)“These are the true sayings of God.” ¹⁰ And ^(CY)I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ^(CZ)“See that you do not do that! I am your ^(DA)fellow servant, and of your brethren ^(DB)who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the ^(DC)testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Christ on a White Horse

^11 (DD)Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, ^(DE)a white horse. And He who sat on him was called ^(DF)Faithful and True, and ^(DG)in righteousness He judges and makes war. ^12 (DH)His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. ^(DI)He ^[v]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ^13 (DJ)He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called ^(DK)The Word of God. ^14 (DL)And the armies in heaven, ^(DM)clothed in ^[w]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now ^(DN)out of His mouth goes a ^[x]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And ^(DO)He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. ^(DP)He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And ^(DQ)He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

^(DR)KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ^(DS)“Come and gather together for the ^[y]supper of the great God, ^18 (DT)that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, ^[z]free and slave, both small and great.”

^19 (DU)And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. ^20 (DV)Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and ^(DW)those who worshiped his image. ^(DX)These two were cast alive into the lake of fire ^(DY)burning with brimstone. ²¹ And the rest ^(DZ)were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. ^(EA)And all the birds ^(EB)were filled with their flesh.

Satan Bound 1,000 Years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, ^(EC)having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of ^(ED)the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³ and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and ^(EE)set a seal on him, ^(EF)so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

⁴ And I saw ^(EG)thrones, and they sat on them, and ^(EH)judgment was committed to them. Then I saw ^(EI)the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, ^(EJ)who had not worshiped the beast ^(EK)or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they ^(EL)lived and ^(EM)reigned with Christ for ^[aa]a thousand years. ⁵ But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such ^(EN)the second death has no power, but they shall be ^(EO)priests of God and of Christ, ^(EP)and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Satanic Rebellion Crushed^(EQ)

⁷ Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out ^(ER)to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, ^(ES)Gog and Magog, ^(ET)to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. ^9 (EU)They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone ^(EV)where^[ab] the beast and the false prophet are. And they ^(EW)will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Great White Throne Judgment

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face ^(EX)the earth and the heaven fled away. ^(EY)And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, ^(EZ)small and great, standing before ^[ac]God, ^(FA)and books were opened. And another ^(FB)book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged ^(FC)according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, ^(FD)and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. ^(FE)And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then ^(FF)Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. ^(FG)This is the second ^[ad]death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life ^(FH)was cast into the lake of fire.