The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.^(A) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.^{(B) 12} It exercised all the authority^(C) of the first beast on its behalf,^(D) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,^(E) whose fatal wound had been healed.^{(F) 13} And it performed great signs,^(G) even causing fire to come down from heaven^(H) to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs^(I) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived^(J) the inhabitants of the earth.^(K) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.^{(L) 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^(M) the image to be killed.^{(N) 16} It also forced all people, great and small,^(O) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,^{(P) 17} so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,^(Q) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.^(R)

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