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)

¹⁴ Because of the signs^(A) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived^(B) the inhabitants of the earth.^(C) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.^{(D) 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^(E) the image to be killed.^{(F) 16} It also forced all people, great and small,^(G) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,^{(H) 17} so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,^(I) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.^(J)

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