Revelation 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:

1A big sign showed up in the sky. A woman stood there wearing the sun like clothes. The moon was under her feet. On her head was a crown of twelve stars.

2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

2The woman was going to have a baby. She was crying out. She was hurting as the baby came.

3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

3Another sign showed up in the sky. There was a huge red dragon. He had seven heads and ten horns. He wore seven crowns on his heads.

4And 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.

4His tail swept away a third of the stars. He threw them down to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman. He was waiting to eat her baby the moment it was born.

5And 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.

5She gave birth to a baby boy. He is the one who will rule every nation with an iron rod. Then her baby was taken up to God and to God's throne.

Note"A rod of iron" means a king's staff. It shows he rules with full power.

6And 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.

6The woman ran away into the desert. God had a safe place ready for her there. She would be fed and cared for there for 1,260 days.

7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

7Then a war started in heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back.

8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

8But the dragon was not strong enough. He and his angels could not stay in heaven any longer.

9And 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.

9So the great dragon was thrown out. He is the old snake, called the devil and Satan. He fools the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10And 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.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven. It said, "Now God has saved his people. Now his power and his kingdom are here. Now his Christ, the king he chose, rules. The one who told God bad things about our brothers and sisters has been thrown down. He said those things day and night.

Note"Christ" is a title, not a last name. It means the king God chose and set apart.

11And 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.

11They beat him because the Lamb gave his blood for them. They beat him by telling what they knew was true. They loved God more than their own lives, even when it meant dying.

12Therefore 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.

12So be glad, you heavens, and everyone who lives there! But it will be hard for the earth and the sea. The devil has come down to you, and he is very angry. He knows he has only a short time left."

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

13The dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth. So he went after the woman who had the baby boy.

14And 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.

14The woman was given two wings, like a big eagle's wings. She could fly away from the snake to her own place in the desert. There she was fed and cared for a time, and times, and half a time.

Note"A time, and times, and half a time" is an old way of saying three and a half years. Many readers think it means the same length as the 1,260 days in verse 6.

15And 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.

15Then the snake spit water out of his mouth. It rushed after the woman like a river. He wanted the water to sweep her away.

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

16But the earth helped the woman. The ground opened up like a mouth. It swallowed the river that came from the dragon's mouth.

17And 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.

17The dragon was very angry at the woman. So he went off to fight her other children. Those are the ones who obey God's rules and hold on to what Jesus taught.