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13 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed.[a] Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

11 I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. 14 He deceives my own[b] people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived. 15 It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; 17 and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.

Footnotes

  1. 13:10 TR reads “If anyone leads into captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone will kill with the sword, he must be killed with a sword.” instead of “If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed.”
  2. 13:14 NU omits “my own”

13 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.(A) It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns,[a](B) and on its heads were blasphemous names.[b](C) The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.(D) The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. One of its heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but its fatal wound was healed.

The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.(E) They worshiped the dragon(F) because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast?(G) Who is able to wage war against it?”

The beast was given a mouth to utter boasts and blasphemies.(H) It was allowed to exercise authority[c][d] for forty-two months.(I) It began to speak[e] blasphemies against God: to blaspheme his name and his dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. And it was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.(J) It was also given authority(K) over every tribe, people, language, and nation.(L) All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book[f] of life(M) of the Lamb who was slaughtered.[g](N)

If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.(O)

10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
into captivity he goes.
If anyone is to be killed[h] with a sword,
with a sword he will be killed.(P)

This calls for endurance[i] and faithfulness from the saints.(Q)

The Beast from the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb,[j](R) but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 It also performs great signs,(S) even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people.(T) 14 It deceives those who live on the earth(U) because of the signs that it is permitted to perform in the presence of the beast,(V) telling those who live on the earth to make an image[k] of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 It was permitted to give breath[l] to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.(W) 16 And it makes everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,(X) 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom:[m](Y) Let the one who has understanding calculate[n] the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666.[o]

Footnotes

  1. 13:1 Or diadems
  2. 13:1 Other mss read heads was a blasphemous name
  3. 13:5 Other mss read to wage war
  4. 13:5 Or to rule
  5. 13:6 Or He opened his mouth in
  6. 13:8 Or scroll
  7. 13:8 Or written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered from the foundation of the world
  8. 13:10 Other mss read anyone kills
  9. 13:10 Or Here is the perseverance
  10. 13:11 Or ram
  11. 13:14 Or a statue, or a likeness
  12. 13:15 Or a spirit, or life
  13. 13:18 Or Here is wisdom
  14. 13:18 Or count, or figure out
  15. 13:18 Other Gk mss read 616