启示录 13
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
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。 2 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。 3 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。 4 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？” 5 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。 6 怪兽开口亵渎上帝的名、上帝的居所和一切居住在天上的。 7 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。 8 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。
9 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”。
Revelation 13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 13
The First Beast.[a] 1 Then I saw a beast come out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous name[s].(A) 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear’s, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion.[b](B) To it the dragon gave its own power and throne, along with great authority. 3 I saw that one of its heads seemed to have been mortally wounded, but this mortal wound was healed.[c] Fascinated, the whole world followed after the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon because it gave its authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast[d] and said, “Who can compare with the beast or who can fight against it?”
5 [e]The beast was given a mouth uttering proud boasts and blasphemies,(C) and it was given authority to act for forty-two months.[f] 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was also allowed to wage war against the holy ones and conquer them, and it was granted authority over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation.(D) 8 All the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, all whose names were not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life, which belongs to the Lamb who was slain.(E)
9 Whoever has ears ought to hear these words.(F)
10 Anyone destined for captivity goes into captivity.
Anyone destined to be slain by the sword shall be slain by the sword.(G)
Such is the faithful endurance of the holy ones.
The Second Beast.[g] 11 Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb’s but spoke like a dragon. 12 It wielded all the authority of the first beast in its sight and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. 13 It performed great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of everyone.(H) 14 It deceived the inhabitants of the earth with the signs it was allowed to perform in the sight of the first beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who had been wounded by the sword and revived. 15 It was then permitted to breathe life into the beast’s image, so that the beast’s image could speak and [could] have anyone who did not worship it put to death.(I) 16 It forced all the people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to be given a stamped image on their right hands or their foreheads,(J) 17 so that no one could buy or sell except one who had the stamped image of the beast’s name or the number that stood for its name.
18 [h](K)Wisdom is needed here; one who understands can calculate the number of the beast, for it is a number that stands for a person. His number is six hundred and sixty-six.
Footnotes
- 13:1–10 This wild beast, combining features of the four beasts in Dn 7:2–28, symbolizes the Roman empire; the seven heads represent the emperors; see notes on Rev 17:10 and Rev 17:12–14. The blasphemous names are the divine titles assumed by the emperors.
- 13:2 Satan (Rev 12:9), the prince of this world (Jn 12:31), commissioned the beast to persecute the church (Rev 13:5–7).
- 13:3 This may be a reference to the popular legend that Nero would come back to life and rule again after his death (which occurred in A.D. 68 from a self-inflicted stab wound in the throat); cf. Rev 13:14; Rev 17:8. Domitian (A.D. 81–96) embodied all the cruelty and impiety of Nero. Cf. Introduction.
- 13:4 Worshiped the beast: allusion to emperor worship, which Domitian insisted upon and ruthlessly enforced. Who can compare with the beast: perhaps a deliberate parody of the name Michael; see note on Rev 12:7.
- 13:5–6 Domitian, like Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Dn 7:8, 11, 25), demanded that he be called by divine titles such as “our lord and god” and “Jupiter.” See note on Rev 11:2.
- 13:5 Forty-two months: this is the same duration as the profanation of the holy city (Rev 11:2), the prophetic mission of the two witnesses (Rev 11:3), and the retreat of the woman into the desert (Rev 12:6, 14).
- 13:11–18 The second beast is described in terms of the false prophets (cf. Rev 16:13; 19:20; 20:10) who accompany the false messiahs (the first beast); cf. Mt 24:24; Mk 13:22; 2 Thes 2:9; cf. also Dt 13:2–4. Christians had either to worship the emperor and his image or to suffer martyrdom.
- 13:18 Each of the letters of the alphabet in Hebrew as well as in Greek has a numerical value. Many possible combinations of letters will add up to 666, and many candidates have been nominated for this infamous number. The most likely is the emperor Caesar Nero (see note on Rev 13:3), the Greek form of whose name in Hebrew letters gives the required sum. (The Latin form of this name equals 616, which is the reading of a few manuscripts.) Nero personifies the emperors who viciously persecuted the church. It has also been observed that “6” represents imperfection, falling short of the perfect number “7,” and is represented here in a triple or superlative form.
Revelation 13
New King James Version
The Beast from the Sea
13 Then [a]I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw (A)a beast rising up out of the sea, (B)having [b]seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a (C)blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The (D)dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads (E)as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And (F)all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, (G)“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given (H)a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to [c]continue for (I)forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, (J)His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him (K)to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And (L)authority was given him over every [d]tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, (M)whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain (N)from the foundation of the world.
9 (O)If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 (P)He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; (Q)he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. (R)Here is the [e]patience and the faith of the saints.
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast (S)coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, (T)whose deadly wound was healed. 13 (U)He performs great signs, (V)so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 (W)And he deceives [f]those who dwell on the earth (X)by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword (Y)and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak (Z)and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, (AA)to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has [g]the mark or (AB)the name of the beast, (AC)or the number of his name.
18 (AD)Here is wisdom. Let him who has (AE)understanding calculate (AF)the number of the beast, (AG)for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Footnotes
- Revelation 13:1 NU he
- Revelation 13:1 NU, M ten horns and seven heads
- Revelation 13:5 M make war
- Revelation 13:7 NU, M add and people
- Revelation 13:10 perseverance
- Revelation 13:14 M my own people
- Revelation 13:17 NU, M the mark, the name
启示录 13
Chinese Standard Bible (Simplified)
海中出来的兽
13 接着，我看见一只兽从海里上来。它有十只角和七个头，十只角上戴着十个王冠，七个头上都有亵渎的名号。 2 我所看见的这兽，仿佛一只豹，它的脚像熊的脚，口像狮子的口。龙把自己的能力、王位和大权交给了这兽。 3 这兽的七个头中有一个好像受了致命伤，可是这致命伤得了痊愈。全地的人都感到惊奇，跟随了这兽。 4 他们膜拜龙，因为它把权柄交给了兽。他们也膜拜兽，说：“谁能与这兽相比呢？谁能与它交战呢？”
5 那兽被赐予了一张说大话和亵渎话的口；它又被赐予了权柄，可以任意[a]行事四十二个月。 6 它就开口向神说亵渎的话，亵渎了他的名和他的居所[b]，亵渎了那些居住在天上的。 7 它被准许与圣徒们作战，并胜过他们；它还被赐予了权柄统管各支派、各民族[c]、各语言群体、各国家。 8 住在地上的人，凡是名字从创世以来没有记在那被杀羔羊的生命册上的，都将膜拜它。
9 凡是有耳的，就应当听！
圣徒们的忍耐和信仰，就在这里。
地里上来的兽
11 接着，我看见另一只兽从地里上来。它有两只角仿佛羊羔，说话却像龙。 12 它在第一只兽的面前，施行第一只兽的一切权柄，强迫大地和住在地上的人来膜拜第一只兽，就是致命伤得了痊愈的那兽。 13 它又行大奇迹，甚至在众人面前，使火从天降到地上。 14 藉着那些奇迹，就是它被准许在第一只兽面前所行的奇迹，它就迷惑了住在地上的人，告诉住在地上的人，要为那受刀伤却活过来的兽，造一个像。 15 它又被准许把气息[g]给那兽像，甚至使那兽像能说话，又使所有不膜拜那兽像的人都被杀死。 16 它还强迫所有的人，无论卑微的或尊贵的、富有的或贫穷的、自由的或为奴的，都在右手或额上接受印记； 17 这样，除了有这印记的人，谁都不可以买或卖，这印记就是兽的名字或它名字的数目。
18 智慧就在这里。有理性的人应当计算这兽的数目，因为这是一个人的数目；其数目是六百六十六[h]。
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