And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars;
and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.
And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.
And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.
And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the {Greek: Gentiles}nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;
and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole {Greek: inhabited earth.}world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying,
{Or, Now is the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom, become our God's, and the authority is become his Christ's}Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that {Greek: tabernacle.}dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child.
And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
Querverweise zu Offenbarung 12,4 Off 12,4
And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months.
And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which {Greek: hath a kingdom.}reigneth over the kings of the earth.
and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.
For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they hurt.
and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them.
Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host; and {Another reading is, the continual burnt-offering was taken away from him.}it took away from him the continual burnt-offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
And {Or, a host was given to it against the &c. Or, a host was set over the &c.}the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.
And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written through the prophet,
{Micah 5:2.}And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah:For out of thee shall come forth a governor,Who shall be shepherd of my people Israel.
Then Herod privily called the {Greek: Magi. Compare Esther 1:13; Daniel 2:12; Acts 13:6, 8.}Wise-men, and learned of them exactly {Or, the time of the star that appeared}what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and {The Greek word denotes an act of reverence whether paid to a creature (see chapter 4:9; 18:26), or to the Creator (see chapter 4:10)}worship him.
And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt;
and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, {Hosea 11:1.}Out of Egypt did I call my son.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the {Greek: Magi. Compare Esther 1.13; Daniel 2.12; Acts 13.6, 8.}Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the {Greek: Magi. Compare Esther 1.13; Daniel 2.12; Acts 13.6, 8.}Wise-men.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. {Or, When one speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for his father also is a liar.}When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,