²⁸ Therefore the king asked advice, ^(A)made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. ^(B)Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction ^[a]does not slumber.

⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ^(A)“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, ^(A)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 ^[a]the mark or ^(B)the name of the beast, ^(C)or the number of his name.

⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, ^(A)whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain ^(B)from the foundation of the world.