⁵ See, I have taught^(A) you decrees and laws^(B) as the Lord my God commanded^(C) me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering^(D) to take possession of it. ⁶ Observe^(E) them carefully, for this will show your wisdom^(F) and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”^{(G) 7} What other nation is so great^(H) as to have their gods near^(I) them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? ⁸ And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws^(J) as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,^(A) and how I carried you on eagles’ wings^(B) and brought you to myself.^{(C) 5} Now if you obey me fully^(D) and keep my covenant,^(E) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.^(F) Although the whole earth^(G) is mine, ⁶ you^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests^(H) and a holy nation.’^(I) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(A) a royal priesthood,^(B) a holy nation,^(C) God’s special possession,^(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(E) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(F) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

⁹ “Take two onyx stones and engrave^(A) on them the names of the sons of Israel ¹⁰ in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. ¹¹ Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings ¹² and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders^(B) as a memorial^(C) before the Lord. ¹³ Make gold filigree settings

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

¹⁵ The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship^(A) the image to be killed.^{(B) 16} It also forced all people, great and small,^(C) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,^{(D) 17} so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,^(E) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.^(F)

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom.^(G) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.^[a](H) That number is 666.

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,^(I) standing on Mount Zion,^(J) and with him 144,000^(K) who had his name and his Father’s name^(L) written on their foreheads.^{(M) 2} And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters^(N) and like a loud peal of thunder.^(O) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.^{(P) 3} And they sang a new song^(Q) before the throne and before the four living creatures^(R) and the elders.^(S) No one could learn the song except the 144,000^(T) who had been redeemed from the earth.