³ One of its heads seemed to have received a death blow, but its fatal wound^[a] had been healed. In amazement the whole earth followed the beast.^(A)

⁸ The beast that you saw was and is not and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.^(A)

¹⁴ and by the signs that it is allowed to perform on behalf of the beast it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword^[a] and yet lived,^(A)

¹⁷ For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.^(A)

²⁴ I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him with the groans of one mortally wounded.^(A)

¹³ These are united in yielding their power and authority to the beast;

¹² It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound^[a] had been healed.

13 ¹ And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names.^{(A) 2} And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority.^(B)

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders,^{(A) 10} and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(B) 11} For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false,^{(C) 12} so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.^(D)

¹⁰ of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a little while.