The Second Beast

11 Then (A)I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,[a] and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, (B)whose mortal wound was healed. 13 (C)It performs great signs, even (D)making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of[b] the beast (E)it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast (F)that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not (G)worship the image of the beast (H)to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,[c] (I)to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, (J)the name of the beast or (K)the number of its name. 18 (L)This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number (M)of a man, and his number is 666.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 13:12 Or on its behalf
  2. Revelation 13:14 Or on behalf of
  3. Revelation 13:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
  4. Revelation 13:18 Some manuscripts 616

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. 14 And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.

16 He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18 Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] His number is 666.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 13:18a Or of humanity.
  2. 13:18b Some manuscripts read 616.