Revelation 13

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea having ten horns, and seven heads, and ten diadems upon its horns, and upon its heads names of blasphemy.

And he took up a position upon the sands of the sea-shore. Then I saw a Wild Beast coming up out of the sea, and he had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten kingly crowns, and inscribed on his heads were names full of blasphemy.

2 And the beast that I saw was similar to a leopard. And its feet were like a bear, and its mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave to it his power, and his throne, and great authority.

The Wild Beast which I saw resembled a leopard, and had feet like the feet of a bear, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion; and it was to the Dragon that he owed his power and his throne and his wide dominion.

3 And one of its heads was as in death, having been killed. And its deadly wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled behind the beast.

I saw that one of his heads seemed to have been mortally wounded; but his mortal wound was healed, and the whole world was amazed and followed him.

4 And they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who is able to war against it?

And they offered worship to the Dragon, because it was to him that the Wild Beast owed his dominion; and they also offered worship to the Wild Beast, and said, "Who is there like him? And who is able to engage in battle with him?"

5 And a mouth was given to it speaking great things and blasphemy. And authority was given it to make war forty-two months.

And there was given him a mouth full of boastful and blasphemous words; and liberty of action was granted him for forty-two months.

6 And it opened its mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, those who dwell in heaven.

And he opened his mouth to utter blasphemies against God, to speak evil of His name and of His dwelling-place--that is to say, of those who dwell in Heaven.

7 And it was given it to make war with the sanctified, and to overcome them. And authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to it.

And permission was given him to make war upon God's people and conquer them; and power was given him over every tribe, people, language and nation.

8 And all who dwell upon the earth will worship it, whose name has not been written in the book of life of the Lamb who was killed from the foundation of the world.

And all the inhabitants of the earth will be found to be worshipping him: every one whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life--the Book of the Lamb who has been offered in sacrifice ever since the creation of the world.

9 If any man has an ear, let him hear.

Let all who have ears give heed.

10 If any man keeps in captivity, he goes. If any man kills with a sword, he must be killed with a sword. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the sanctified.

If any one is eager to lead others into captivity, he must himself go into captivity. If any one is bent on killing with the sword, he must himself be killed by the sword. Here is an opportunity for endurance, and for the exercise of faith, on the part of God's people.

11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and it had two horns similar to a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon.

Then I saw another Wild Beast, coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.

12 And it exercises all the authority of the first beast before it. And it made the earth and those who dwell in it so that they would worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

And the authority of the first Wild Beast--the whole of that authority--he exercises in his presence, and he causes the earth and its inhabitants to worship the first Wild Beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.

13 And it does great signs, so that even fire would come down out of the sky upon the earth in the sight of men.

He also works great miracles, so as even to make fire come down from Heaven to earth in the presence of human beings.

14 And it leads my kind astray (those dwelling on the earth) because of the signs that were given it to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast that had the sword-wound and lived.

And his power of leading astray the inhabitants of the earth is due to the marvels which he has been permitted to work in the presence of the Wild Beast. And he told the inhabitants of the earth to erect a statue to the Wild Beast who had received the sword-stroke and yet had recovered.

15 And it was given it to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would both speak, and would make as many as would not ever worship the image of the beast be killed.

And power was granted him to give breath to the statue of the Wild Beast, so that the statue of the Wild Beast could even speak and cause all who refuse to worship it to be put to death.

16 And it makes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the bondmen, that they would give them marks on their right hand, or on their foreheads.

And he causes all, small and great, rich and poor, free men and slaves, to have stamped upon them a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,

17 And so that not any man can buy or sell unless having the mark-the name of the beast or the number of its name.

in order that no one should be allowed to buy or sell unless he had the mark--either the name of the Wild Beast or the number which his name represents.

18 Here is wisdom: He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is a number of a man. And its number is 666.

Here is scope for ingenuity. Let people of shrewd intelligence calculate the number of the Wild Beast; for it indicates a certain man, and his number is 666.