Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

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. ² She was pregnant and cried out in pain^(D) as she was about to give birth. ³ 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. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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. ⁶ 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)

⁷ 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. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ 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:

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)

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon^[b] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.^(AQ) It had ten horns and seven heads,^(AR) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.^{(AS) 2} The beast I saw resembled a leopard,^(AT) but had feet like those of a bear^(AU) and a mouth like that of a lion.^(AV) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.^{(AW) 3} One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.^(AX) The whole world was filled with wonder^(AY) and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like^(AZ) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies^(BA) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.^{(BB) 6} It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.^{(BC) 7} It was given power to wage war^(BD) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.^{(BE) 8} All inhabitants of the earth^(BF) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,^(BG) the Lamb^(BH) who was slain from the creation of the world.^[c](BI)

⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(BJ)

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness^(BL) on the part of God’s people.^(BM)

The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.^(BN) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.^{(BO) 12} It exercised all the authority^(BP) of the first beast on its behalf,^(BQ) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,^(BR) whose fatal wound had been healed.^{(BS) 13} And it performed great signs,^(BT) even causing fire to come down from heaven^(BU) to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs^(BV) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived^(BW) the inhabitants of the earth.^(BX) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.^{(BY) 15} The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship^(BZ) the image to be killed.^{(CA) 16} It also forced all people, great and small,^(CB) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,^{(CC) 17} so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,^(CD) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.^(CE)

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom.^(CF) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.^[f](CG) That number is 666.