12Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.G2532G3700G3173G4592G1722G3772G1135G4016G2246G2532G4582G5270G846G4228G2532G1909G846G2776G4735G1427G7922She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.G2532G2192G1722G1064G2896G5605G2532G928G50883Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads.G2532G3700G243G4592G1722G3772G2532G2400G3173G4450G1404G2192G2033G2776G2532G1176G2768G2532G2033G1238G1909G846G27764His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.G2532G846G3769G4951G5154G792G3772G2532G906G846G1519G1093G2532G1404G2476G1799G1135G3588G3195G5088G2443G2719G846G5043G3752G50885She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.G2532G5088G730G5207G3739G3195G4165G3956G1484G1722G4464G4603G2532G846G5043G726G4314G2316G2532G846G23626And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.G2532G1135G5343G1519G2048G3699G2192G5117G2090G575G2316G2443G5142G846G1563G5507G1250G1835G22507Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.G2532G1096G4171G1722G3772G3413G2532G846G32G4170G2596G1404G2532G1404G4170G2532G846G328And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven.G2532G2480G3756G3777G2147G846G5117G2147G2089G1722G37729This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.G2532G3173G1404G906G744G3789G2564G1228G2532G4567G3588G4105G3650G3625G906G1519G1093G2532G846G32G906G3326G84610Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night.G2532G191G3173G5456G3004G1722G3772G737G1096G4991G2532G1411G2532G932G2257G2316G2532G1849G846G5547G3754G2723G2257G80G2598G3588G2725G846G1799G2257G2316G2250G2532G357111And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.G2532G846G3528G846G1223G129G721G2532G1223G3056G846G3141G2532G25G3756G846G5590G891G228812Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time."G1223G5124G2165G3772G2532G4637G1722G846G3759G2730G1093G2532G2281G3754G1228G2597G4314G5209G2192G3173G2372G1492G3754G2192G3641G254013When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.G2532G3753G1404G1492G3754G906G1519G1093G1377G1135G3748G5088G73014But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time.G2532G1135G1325G1417G4420G3173G105G2443G4072G1519G2048G1519G846G5117G3699G5142G1563G2540G2532G2540G2532G2255G2540G575G4383G378915Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth.G2532G3789G906G1537G846G4750G5204G5613G4215G3694G1135G2443G4160G5026G421616But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.G2532G1093G997G1135G2532G1093G455G846G4750G2532G2666G4215G3739G1404G906G1537G846G475017And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God's commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.G2532G1404G3710G1909G1135G2532G565G4160G4171G3326G3062G846G4690G3588G5083G1785G2316G2532G2192G3141G2424G554718Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea.
The Beast out of the Sea
13Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.G2532G2476G1909G285G2281G2532G1492G2342G305G1537G2281G2192G2033G2776G2532G1176G2768G2532G1909G846G2768G1176G1238G2532G1909G846G2776G3686G9882This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.G2532G2342G3739G1492G2258G3664G3917G2532G846G4228G5613G715G2532G846G4750G5613G4750G3023G2532G1404G1325G846G846G1411G2532G846G2362G2532G3173G18493I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast.G2532G1492G3391G846G2776G5613G4969G1519G2288G2532G846G2288G4127G2323G2532G3650G1093G2296G2296G3694G1722G23424They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. "Who is as great as the beast?" they exclaimed. "Who is able to fight against him?"G2532G4352G1404G3739G1325G1849G2342G2532G4352G2342G3004G5101G3664G2342G5101G1410G4170G3326G8465Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months.G2532G1325G846G4750G2980G3173G2532G988G2532G1849G1325G846G4160G5062G1417G33766And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven.G2532G455G846G4750G1519G988G4314G2316G987G846G3686G2532G846G4633G2532G4637G1722G37727And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.G2532G1325G846G4160G4171G3326G40G2532G3528G846G2532G1849G1325G846G1909G3956G5443G2532G1100G2532G14848And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.G2532G3956G2730G1909G1093G4352G846G3739G3686G1125G3756G1125G1722G976G2222G721G4969G575G2602G28899Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.G1536G2192G3775G19110Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.G1536G4863G161G5217G1519G161G1536G615G1722G3162G1163G615G1722G3162G5602G2076G5281G2532G4102G40
The Beast out of the Earth
11Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon.G2532G1492G243G2342G305G1537G1093G2532G2192G1417G2768G3664G721G2532G2980G5613G140412He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.G2532G4160G3956G1849G4413G2342G1799G846G2532G4160G1093G2532G2730G1722G846G2443G4352G4413G2342G3739G846G2288G4127G232313He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching.G2532G4160G3173G4592G2532G2443G4160G4442G2597G1537G3772G1519G1093G1799G44414And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.G2532G4105G2730G1909G1093G1223G4592G3739G846G1325G4160G1799G2342G3004G2730G1909G1093G4160G1504G2342G3739G2192G4127G3162G2532G219815He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.G2532G846G1325G1325G4151G1504G2342G2443G1504G2342G2980G2532G2980G2532G4160G3745G302G4352G3361G4352G1504G2342G2443G61516He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.G2532G4160G3956G3398G2532G3173G2532G4145G2532G4434G2532G1658G2532G1401G2443G846G1325G5480G1909G846G1188G5495G2228G1909G846G335917And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.G2532G3363G5100G1410G59G2228G4453G1508G2192G5480G2228G3686G2342G2228G706G846G368618Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.G5602G2076G4678G2192G3563G5585G706G2342G1063G2076G706G444G2532G846G706G5516
44[For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.] O God, we have heard it with our own ears—our ancestors have told us of all you did in their day, in days long ago.H5329H1121H7141H4905H8085H241H430H1H5608H6467H6466H3117H3117H69242You drove out the pagan nations by your power and gave all the land to our ancestors. You crushed their enemies and set our ancestors free.H3423H1471H3027H5193H7489H3816H79713They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory. It was your right hand and strong arm and the blinding light from your face that helped them, for you loved them.H3423H776H3423H2719H2220H3467H3225H2220H216H6440H75214You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel.H4428H430H6680H3444H32905Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes.H5055H6862H8034H947H69656I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me.H982H7198H2719H34677You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us.H3467H6862H954H81308O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. InterludeH430H1984H3117H3034H8034H5769H55429But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle.H637H2186H3637H3318H663510You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.H7725H268H6862H8130H815411You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations.H5414H6629H3978H2219H147112You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale.H4376H5971H1952H7235H424213You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.H7760H2781H7934H3933H7047H543914You have made us the butt of their jokes; they shake their heads at us in scorn.H7760H4912H1471H4493H7218H381615We can't escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces.H3639H3117H1322H6440H368016All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies.H6963H2778H1442H6440H341H535817All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant.H935H7911H8266H128518Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path.H3820H5472H268H838H5186H73419Yet you have crushed us in the jackal's desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death.H1794H4725H8577H3680H675720If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,H7911H8034H430H6566H3709H2114H41021God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart.H430H2713H3045H8587H382022But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.H2026H3117H2803H6629H287823Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever.H5782H3462H136H6974H2186H533124Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?H5641H6440H7911H6040H390625We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt.H5315H7743H6083H990H1692H77626Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love.H6965H5833H6299H2617
. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night.G2532
