Revelation
Chapter 12
1 1 A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman 2 clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
那时，天上出现了一个大异兆：有一个女人，身披太阳，脚踏月亮，头戴十二颗星的荣冠；
2 She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. 3
她胎中怀了孕，在产痛和苦劳中，呼疼呻吟。
3 Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, 4 with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems.
随着天上又出现了另一个异兆：有一条火红的大龙，有七个头，十只角，头上戴着七个王冠。
4 Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth.
它的尾巴将天上的星辰勾下了三分之一，投在地上。那条龙便站在那要生产的女人面前，待她生产后，要吞下她的孩子。
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. 5 Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
那女人生了一个男孩子，他就是那要以铁杖牧放万民的；那女人的孩子被提到天主和他的宝座前。
6 The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days. 6
女人就逃到旷野去了，在那里有天主已给她准备好的地方，叫她在那里受供养一千二百六十天。
7 7 Then war broke out in heaven; Michael 8 and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back,
以后，天主就发生了战争：弥额尔和他的天使一同与那龙交战，那龙也和它的使者一起应战，
8 but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
但它们敌不住，在天上遂再也没有它们的地方了。
9 The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, 9 who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.
於是那大龙被摔了下来，它就是那远古的蛇，号称魔鬼或撒殚的。那欺骗了全世界的，被摔到地上，它的使者也同它一起被摔了下来。
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ＂Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser 10 of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night.
那时我听见天上有大声音说：＂如今我们的天主获得了胜利、权能和国度，也显示了他基督的权柄，因为那日夜在我们的天主前，控告我们弟兄的控告者，已被摔下去了。
11 They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death.
他们赖羔羊的血和他们作证的话，得胜了那条龙，因为他们情愿牺牲自己的性命死了。
12 Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them. But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time.＂
为此，高天和住在那里的，你们欢乐罢！祸哉，大地和海洋！因为魔鬼怀着大怒下到你们那里去了，因为他知道自己只有很短的时间了。＂
13 When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
那条龙一看见自己被摔到地上，就去追赶那生了男婴的女人。
14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, 11 so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year.
可是有大鹰的两个翅膀给了那女人，为叫她飞入旷野，到自己的地方去，在那里受供养一段时期、两段时期和半段时期，远离那蛇的面。
15 The serpent, 12 however, spewed a torrent of water out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with the current.
那蛇遂在女人后面，从自己的口中吐出一道像河的水，为使那女人被河水冲去；
16 But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth and swallowed the flood that the dragon spewed out of its mouth.
可是大地却援助了那女人，大地裂开一个口，把那条龙从口中所吐出的河水吸了去。
17 Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus. 13 (18) It took its position 14 on the sand of the sea.
那条龙便对那女人大发忿怒，遂去与她其余的後裔，即那些遵行天主的诫命，且为耶稣作证的人交战； 于是它就站在海滩上。
Footnotes(注解)
1 [12:1-14:20] This central section of Rev portrays the power of evil, represented by a dragon, in opposition to God and his people. First, the dragon pursues the woman about to give birth, but her son is saved and ＂caught up to God and his throne＂ (Rev 12:5). Then Michael and his angels cast the dragon and his angels out of heaven (Rev 12:7-9). After this, the dragon tries to attack the boy indirectly by attacking members of his church (Rev 12:13-17). A beast, symbolizing the Roman empire, then becomes the dragon's agent, mortally wounded but restored to life and worshiped by all the world (Rev 13:1-10). A second beast arises from the land, symbolizing the antichrist, which leads people astray by its prodigies to idolize the first beast (Rev 13:11-18). This is followed by a vision of the Lamb and his faithful ones, and the proclamation of imminent judgment upon the world in terms of the wine of God's wrath (Rev 14:1-20).
2 [1] The woman adorned with the sun, the moon, and the stars (images taken from Genesis 37:9-10) symbolizes God's people in the Old and the New Testament. The Israel of old gave birth to the Messiah (Rev 12:5) and then became the new Israel, the church, which suffers persecution by the dragon (Rev 12:6, 13-17); cf Isaiah 50:1; 66:7; Jeremiah 50:12. This corresponds to a widespread myth throughout the ancient world that a goddess pregnant with a savior was pursued by a horrible monster; by miraculous intervention, she bore a son who then killed the monster.
3 [2] Because of Eve's sin, the woman gives birth in distress and pain (Genesis 3:16; cf Isaiah 66:7-14).
4 [3] Huge red dragon: the Devil or Satan (cf Rev 12:9; 20:2), symbol of the forces of evil, a mythical monster known also as Leviathan (Psalm 74:13-14) or Rahab (Job 26:12-13; Psalm 89:11). Seven diadems: these are symbolic of the fullness of the dragon's sovereignty over the kingdoms of this world; cf Christ with many diadems (Rev 19:12).
5 [5] Rule . . . iron rod: fulfilled in Rev 19:15; cf Psalm 2:9. Was caught up to God: reference to Christ's ascension.
6 [6] God protects the persecuted church in the desert, the traditional Old Testament place of refuge for the afflicted, according to the typology of the Exodus; see the note on Rev 11:2.
7 [7-12] Michael, mentioned only here in Rev, wins a victory over the dragon. A hymn of praise follows.
8 [7] Michael: the archangel, guardian and champion of Israel; cf Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 1:9. In Hebrew, the name Michael means ＂Who can compare with God?＂; cf Rev 13:4.
9 [9] The ancient serpent: who seduced Eve (Genesis 3:1-6), mother of the human race; cf Rev 20:2; Eph 6:11-12. Was thrown down: allusion to the expulsion of Satan from heaven; cf Luke 10:18.
10 [10] The accuser: the meaning of the Hebrew word ＂Satan,＂ found in Rev 12:9; Job 1-2; Zechariah 3:1; 1 Chron 21:1; he continues to accuse Christ's disciples.
11 [14] Great eagle: symbol of the power and swiftness of divine help; cf Exodus 19:4; Deut 32:11; Isaiah 40:31.
12 [15] The serpent is depicted as the sea monster; cf Rev 13:1; Isaiah 27:1; Ezekiel 32:2; Psalm 74:13-14.
13 [17] Although the church is protected by God's special providence (Rev 12:16), the individual Christian is to expect persecution and suffering.
14 [17(18)] It took its position: many later manuscripts and versions read ＂I took my position,＂ thus connecting the sentence to the following paragraph.