Revelation 11:1–12:17

THE TWO WITNESSES

11 Then I was given a measuring reedz like a rod,A with these words: “GoB and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there. 2 But exclude the courtyard outside the temple.aa Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,C,ab and they will trample the holy cityac for forty-two months.ad 3 I will grantD my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”ae 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the LordE of the earth.af 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies;ag if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 They have authority to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy.a They also have power over the waters to turn them into bloodb and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.c

THE WITNESSES MARTYRED

7 When they finish their testimony, the beastd that comes up out of the abysse will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them. 8 Their dead bodiesF,f will lie in the main streetG of the great city,g which figurativelyH is called Sodomh and Egypt,i where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And some ofI the peoples, tribes, languages, and nationsj will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb.k 10 Those who live on the earth will gloatl over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

THE WITNESSES RESURRECTED

11 But after three and a half days, the breathJ of lifem from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heardK a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.n 13 At that moment a violent earthquake took place,o a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woep has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!

THE SEVENTH TRUMPET

15 The seventh angel blew his trumpet,q and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom

of our Lord and of his Christ,

and he will reign forever and ever.r

16 The twenty-four elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, 17 saying,

We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty,

who is and who was,L,s

because you have taken your great power

and have begun to reign.t

18 The nations were angry,u

but your wrath has come.

The time has come

for the dead to be judged

and to give the reward

to your servants the prophets,v

to the saints, and to those who fear your name,

both small and great,w

and the time has come to destroy

those who destroy the earth.

19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenantA appeared in his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder,x an earthquake,B and severe hail.

THE WOMAN, THE CHILD, AND THE DRAGON

12 A great sign* appeared in heaven:y a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.z 2 She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.aa 3 Then another signD appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragonab having seven heads and ten horns,ac and on its heads were seven crowns.E 4 Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.ad And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.ae 5 She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to ruleF all nations with an iron rod.af Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,ag to be nourished thereG for 1,260 days.ah

THE DRAGON THROWN OUT OF HEAVEN

7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michaelai and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, 8 but he could not prevail,aj and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.ak 9 So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent,al who is called the devil and Satan,am the one who deceives the whole world.a He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.b 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

The salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Christ

have now come,c

because the accuserd of our brothers and sisters,

who accuses them

before our God day and night,

has been thrown down.

11 They conquered him

by the blood of the Lambe

and by the word of their testimony;f

for they did not love their lives

to the point of death.g

12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,

and you who dwell in them!h

Woe to the earth and the sea,

because the devil has come down to you

with great fury,

because he knows his time is short.

THE WOMAN PERSECUTED

13 When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecutedA the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given two wings of a great eagle,i so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.j 15 From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17 So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage wark against the rest of her offspringB,l—those who keep the commands of Godm and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.n