12:1 Then 1 a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. 2 12:2 She 3 was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling 4 to give birth. 12:3 Then 5 another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. 6 12:4 Now 7 the dragon’s 8 tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then 9 the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 12:5 So 10 the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, 11 who is going to rule 12 over all the nations 13 with an iron rod. 14 Her 15 child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 12:6 and she 16 fled into the wilderness 17 where a place had been prepared for her 18 by God, so she could be taken care of 19 for 1,260 days.
12:7 Then 20 war broke out in heaven: Michael 21 and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 12:8 But 22 the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, 23 so there was no longer any place left 24 in heaven for him and his angels. 25 12:9 So 26 that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 12:10 Then 27 I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority 28 of his Christ, 29 have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, 30
the one who accuses them day and night 31 before our God,
has been thrown down.
12:11 But 32 they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives 33 so much that they were afraid to die.
12:12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But 34 woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He 35 is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”
12:13 Now 36 when the dragon realized 37 that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 12:14 But 38 the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, 39 to the place God 40 prepared for her, where she is taken care of – away from the presence of the serpent – for a time, times, and half a time. 41 12:15 Then 42 the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to 43 sweep her away by a flood, 12:16 but 44 the earth came to her rescue; 45 the ground opened up 46 and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 12:17 So 47 the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, 48 those who keep 49 God’s commandments and hold to 50 the testimony about Jesus. 51 (12:18) And the dragon 52 stood 53 on the sand 54 of the seashore. 55
13:1 Then 56 I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It 57 had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, 58 and on its heads a blasphemous name. 59 13:2 Now 60 the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The 61 dragon gave the beast 62 his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. 63 13:3 One of the beast’s 64 heads appeared to have been killed, 65 but the lethal wound had been healed. 66 And the whole world followed 67 the beast in amazement; 13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority 68 to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?” 69 13:5 The beast 70 was given a mouth speaking proud words 71 and blasphemies, and he was permitted 72 to exercise ruling authority 73 for forty-two months. 13:6 So 74 the beast 75 opened his mouth to blaspheme against God – to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, 76 that is, those who dwell in heaven. 13:7 The beast 77 was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. 78 He was given ruling authority 79 over every tribe, people, 80 language, and nation, 13:8 and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, 81 everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world 82 in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. 83 13:9 If anyone has an ear, he had better listen!
13:10 If anyone is meant for captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed by the sword, 84
then by the sword he must be killed.
This 85 requires steadfast endurance 86 and faith from the saints.
13:11 Then 87 I saw another beast 88 coming up from the earth. He 89 had two horns like a lamb, 90 but 91 was speaking like a dragon. 13:12 He 92 exercised all the ruling authority 93 of the first beast on his behalf, 94 and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. 13:13 He 95 performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven in front of people 96 13:14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told 97 those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. 13:15 The second beast 98 was empowered 99 to give life 100 to the image of the first beast 101 so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 13:16 He also caused 102 everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave 103 ) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 13:17 Thus no one was allowed to buy 104 or sell things 105 unless he bore 106 the mark of the beast – that is, his name or his number. 107 13:18 This calls for wisdom: 108 Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, 109 and his number is 666. 110
14:1 Then 111 I looked, and here was 112 the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 14:2 I also heard a sound 113 coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now 114 the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, 14:3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No 115 one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.
14:4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves 116 with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, 14:5 and no lie was found on their lips; 117 they 118 are blameless.
14:6 Then 119 I saw another 120 angel flying directly overhead, 121 and he had 122 an eternal gospel to proclaim 123 to those who live 124 on the earth – to every nation, tribe, 125 language, and people. 14:7 He declared 126 in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has arrived, and worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water!”
14:8 A 127 second 128 angel 129 followed the first, 130 declaring: 131 “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great city! 132 She made all the nations 133 drink of the wine of her immoral passion.” 134
14:9 A 135 third angel 136 followed the first two, 137 declaring 138 in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, 14:10 that person 139 will also drink of the wine of God’s anger 140 that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur 141 in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. 14:11 And the smoke from their 142 torture will go up 143 forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have 144 no rest day or night, along with 145 anyone who receives the mark of his name.” 14:12 This requires 146 the steadfast endurance 147 of the saints – those who obey 148 God’s commandments and hold to 149 their faith in Jesus. 150
14:13 Then 151 I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this:
‘Blessed are the dead,
those who die in the Lord from this moment on!’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they can rest from their hard work, 152 because their deeds will follow them.” 153
14:14 Then 154 I looked, and a white cloud appeared, 155 and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man! 156 He had 157 a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 14:15 Then 158 another angel came out of the temple, shouting in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use 159 your sickle and start to reap, 160 because the time to reap has come, since the earth’s harvest is ripe!” 14:16 So 161 the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
14:17 Then 162 another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 14:18 Another 163 angel, who was in charge of 164 the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to the angel 165 who had the sharp sickle, “Use 166 your sharp sickle and gather 167 the clusters of grapes 168 off the vine of the earth, 169 because its grapes 170 are now ripe.” 171 14:19 So 172 the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard 173 of the earth and tossed them into the great 174 winepress of the wrath of God. 14:20 Then 175 the winepress was stomped 176 outside the city, and blood poured out of the winepress up to the height of horses’ bridles 177 for a distance of almost two hundred miles. 178
15:1 Then 179 I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final plagues 180 (they are final because in them God’s anger is completed).
15:2 Then 181 I saw something like a sea of glass 182 mixed with fire, and those who had conquered 183 the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing 184 by 185 the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. 186 15:3 They 187 sang the song of Moses the servant 188 of God and the song of the Lamb: 189
“Great and astounding are your deeds,
Lord God, the All-Powerful! 190
Just 191 and true are your ways,
King over the nations! 192
15:4 Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and glorify 193 your name, because you alone are holy? 194
All nations 195 will come and worship before you
for your righteous acts 196 have been revealed.”
15:5 After 197 these things I looked, and the temple (the tent 198 of the testimony) 199 was opened in heaven, 15:6 and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean bright linen, wearing wide golden belts 200 around their chests. 15:7 Then 201 one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath 202 of God who lives forever and ever, 15:8 and the temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and from his power. Thus 203 no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues from the seven angels were completed.
16:1 Then 204 I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.” 205 16:2 So 206 the first angel 207 went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then 208 ugly and painful sores 209 appeared on the people 210 who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
16:3 Next, 211 the second angel 212 poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.
16:4 Then 213 the third angel 214 poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 16:5 Now 215 I heard the angel of the waters saying:
“You are just 216 – the one who is and who was,
the Holy One – because you have passed these judgments, 217
16:6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets,
so 218 you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!” 219
16:7 Then 220 I heard the altar reply, 221 “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, 222 your judgments are true and just!”
16:8 Then 223 the fourth angel 224 poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people 225 with fire. 16:9 Thus 226 people 227 were scorched by the terrible heat, 228 yet 229 they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority 230 over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory.
16:10 Then 231 the fifth angel 232 poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that 233 darkness covered his kingdom, 234 and people 235 began to bite 236 their tongues because 237 of their pain. 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings 238 and because of their sores, 239 but nevertheless 240 they still refused to repent 241 of their deeds.
16:12 Then 242 the sixth angel 243 poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water 244 to prepare the way 245 for the kings from the east. 246 16:13 Then 247 I saw three unclean spirits 248 that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 16:14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth 249 to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. 250
16:15 (Look! I will come like a thief!
Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose 251 his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition 252 be seen.) 253
16:16 Now 254 the spirits 255 gathered the kings and their armies 256 to the place that is called Armageddon 257 in Hebrew.
16:17 Finally 258 the seventh angel 259 poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” 16:18 Then 260 there were flashes of lightning, roaring, 261 and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake – an earthquake unequaled since humanity 262 has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. 16:19 The 263 great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations 264 collapsed. 265 So 266 Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup 267 filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath. 268 16:20 Every 269 island fled away 270 and no mountains could be found. 271 16:21 And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds 272 each, fell from heaven 273 on people, 274 but they 275 blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it 276 was so horrendous. 277
17:1 Then 278 one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. 279 “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment 280 of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 281 17:3 So 282 he carried me away in the Spirit 283 to a wilderness, 284 and there 285 I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 17:4 Now 286 the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, 287 and adorned with gold, 288 precious stones, and pearls. She held 289 in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. 290 17:5 On 291 her forehead was written a name, a mystery: 292 “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. 293 I 294 was greatly astounded 295 when I saw her. 17:7 But 296 the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret 297 for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 17:8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss 298 and then go to destruction. The 299 inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that 300 the beast was, and is not, but is to come. 17:9 (This requires 301 a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains 302 the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: 17:10 five have fallen; one is, 303 and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. 17:11 The 304 beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. 17:12 The 305 ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority 306 as kings with the beast for one hour. 17:13 These kings 307 have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 17:14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying 308 the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”
17:15 Then 309 the angel 310 said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, 311 nations, and languages. 17:16 The 312 ten horns that you saw, and the beast – these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They 313 will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. 314 17:17 For God has put into their minds 315 to carry out his purpose 316 by making 317 a decision 318 to give their royal power 319 to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 320 17:18 As for 321 the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”