两只怪兽

13 我又看见一只怪兽从海中上来,有七头十角,每只角上都戴着一个冠冕,每个头上都写着亵渎上帝的名号。 它看起来像豹,却有熊的脚和狮子的口。巨龙将自己的能力、王位和大权柄都交给了怪兽。 我看见怪兽的一个头似乎受了致命伤,这伤却复原了。全世界的人都惊奇地跟从了它。 他们拜巨龙,因为巨龙将自己的权力给了怪兽。他们又拜怪兽,说:“有谁比得上这兽呢?谁能与它对抗呢?” 巨龙又使怪兽说狂妄、亵渎的话,并给它权柄,可以任意妄为四十二个月。 怪兽开口亵渎上帝的名、上帝的居所和一切居住在天上的。 它又获准去攻打圣徒,征服他们,并得到权柄制服各民族、各部落、各语言族群、各国家。 凡住在地上的人,就是从创世以来名字没有记在被杀羔羊的生命册上的,都会崇拜怪兽。

凡有耳朵的都应当听。
10 该被掳的人必被掳,
该被刀杀的必被刀杀。

因此,圣徒需要坚忍和信心。

11 我又看见另一只怪兽从地里窜出来,它的两只角像羔羊的角,说话却像龙, 12 在头一只怪兽面前行使头一只怪兽的一切权柄。它命令世上的人拜曾受了致命伤但已复原的头一只怪兽, 13 又行大奇迹,当众叫火从天降到地上。 14 它在头一只怪兽面前获准行奇迹,欺骗了普世的人,并吩咐他们为受了刀伤却仍然活着的头一只怪兽塑像。 15 它又获准给怪兽的塑像生命气息,使它不但能说话,还能使所有不敬拜那像的人遭害。 16 它又强迫所有的人,不论老少、尊卑、贫富、自由人或奴隶,都在右手或额上接受印记。 17 凡没有盖上怪兽印记的,就是没有怪兽的名字或代号的,都不能做买卖。 18 这里藏有玄机,聪明的人可以计算那怪兽的代号,因为那是一个人的代号,是“六百六十六”。

海里的野兽

13 这时我看见一只野兽从海里出来,它长着七头十角,每只角上戴着一个王冠。它的头上写着亵渎的名称。 这只野兽看上去像一只豹子,爪像熊掌,嘴像狮子的嘴。巨龙把自己的权力、宝座和力量都给了这只野兽。 我注意到这只野兽的一只头好像受了致命的伤,但这致命的伤却又愈合了。整个世界都惊诧不已,纷纷跟随这只野兽, 他们曾崇拜巨龙,因为它把自己的权威给了那野兽,他们也崇拜那只野兽,他们说∶“谁能与这只野兽相比呢?谁能和他匹敌呢?”

这个野兽还得到一张夸大和亵渎的嘴巴,并获准在四十二个月内随意使用它。 所以,它开始亵渎上帝、上帝的名字和住所,他还侮辱天堂里的居民。 它获准和上帝的子民交战,并打败他们,还得到了权力,去控制各支派、各民族、各国和说各种语言的人。 自开天辟地以来,地上凡是名字没有登在被害羔羊的生命薄上的人,都会崇拜它。

有耳能听的人,都应听着:

10 注定被俘的人,必定被俘。
注定被剑刺死的人,必定死于剑下。

这就是说,上帝的子民,需要有耐心和信仰。

钻出地面的野兽

11 这时,我看见另外一只野兽钻出地面,它像羔羊一样有两只角。但它说起话来像巨龙。 12 它在第一只野兽面前行使第一只野兽的一切权力。它迫使大地和大地上的居民崇拜那只受过致命伤、但又被治愈的第一只野兽。 13 第二只野兽可以行奇迹,甚至可以当着众人的面从天堂引火下地。 14 它到处欺骗世人,因为它获准当着第一只野兽的面表演各种奇迹。它还告诉生活在地上的人为那受了致命的剑伤而又被治愈了的第一只动物造一尊塑像。 15 第二只野兽还被授权,给予第一只动物的塑像以生命,让它不但能说话,而且还能下令杀死不崇拜它的人。 16 第二只野兽强迫所有的人,不分高低贵贱、贫富、自由人或奴隶,一律在右手或前额上加盖印记。 17 没有印记的不得做买卖。印记包括这只动物的名字或代表名字的号码。 18 这需要智慧。有头脑的人可以计算出这只野兽的号码,因为这号码代表一个人的名字,它的号码是666。

The First Beast from the Sea

13 And I saw coming up out of the sea a beast that had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten royal headbands,[a] and on its heads a blasphemous name.[b] And the beast that I saw was similar to a leopard, and its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority. And one of its heads appeared as though slaughtered to death, and its fatal wound[c] had been healed. And the whole earth was astonished and followed after the beast. And they worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to make war with him?

And a mouth was given to him speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority to act was given to him for forty-two months. And he opened his mouth for blasphemies toward God, to blaspheme his name and his dwelling, those who live in heaven. And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not written[d] from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered. If anyone has an ear, let him hear!

10 If anyone is going into captivity, into captivity he goes.
If anyone is to be killed by the sword, by the sword he is to be killed.

Here is the patient endurance and the faith of the saints.

The Second Beast from the Earth

11 And I saw another beast coming up from the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he was speaking like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast on behalf of him, and he causes the earth and those who live in it to worship the first beast whose fatal wound had been healed[e]. 13 And he performs great signs, so that he even causes fire from heaven to come down to the earth before people. 14 And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it has been granted to him to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who has the wound of the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was given to him to put breath into the image of the beast, in order that the image of the beast both spoke and caused that all those, unless they worshiped the image of the beast, should be killed. 16 And he causes all people, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, that they give them a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and that no one was able to buy or to sell except the one who had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom: the one who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number,[f] and his number is six hundred sixty-six.[g]

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 13:1 Or “ten diadem crowns”
  2. Revelation 13:1 Some manuscripts read “blasphemous names”
  3. Revelation 13:3 Literally “wound of death”
  4. Revelation 13:8 Literally “of whom his name is not written”
  5. Revelation 13:12 Literally “of whom the wound of his death had been healed”
  6. Revelation 13:18 Or “it is the number of a man”
  7. Revelation 13:18 A few significant manuscripts read “six hundred sixteen”