The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon^[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.^(A) It had ten horns and seven heads,^(B) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.^{(C) 2} The beast I saw resembled a leopard,^(D) but had feet like those of a bear^(E) and a mouth like that of a lion.^(F) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.^{(G) 3} One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.^(H) The whole world was filled with wonder^(I) and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like^(J) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies^(K) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.^{(L) 6} It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.^(M)

⁷ It was given power to wage war^(A) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.^{(B) 8} All inhabitants of the earth^(C) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,^(D) the Lamb^(E) who was slain from the creation of the world.^[a](F)

⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(G)

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness^(I) on the part of God’s people.^(J)

¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^(A) in his name,^(B) he gave the right to become children of God^(C)— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^(D)

John Testifies About Jesus

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,^(A) who takes away the sin of the world!^(B)

²⁰ But our citizenship^(A) is in heaven.^(B) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,^{(C) 21} who, by the power^(D) that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies^(E) so that they will be like his glorious body.^(F)

³ Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers,^(A) whose names are in the book of life.^(B)

¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(A) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(B) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(C) The dead were judged^(D) according to what they had done^(E) as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(F) gave up the dead^(G) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^(H)

The World Hates the Disciples

¹⁸ “If the world hates you,^(A) keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you^(B) out of the world. That is why the world hates you.^{(C) 20} Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[a](D) If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.^(E) If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name,^(F) for they do not know the one who sent me.^{(G) 22} If I had not come and spoken to them,^(H) they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.^{(I) 23} Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did,^(J) they would not be guilty of sin.^(K) As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law:^(L) ‘They hated me without reason.’^[b](M)

The Work of the Holy Spirit

²⁶ “When the Advocate^(N) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father^(O)—the Spirit of truth^(P) who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.^{(Q) 27} And you also must testify,^(R) for you have been with me from the beginning.^(S)