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.