Revelation 13

1 And the dragon stood on the sea shore. Then I saw a beast rising out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten small crowns on his horns, and had blasphemous names on his heads.

and he took his stand on the sea-shore. Then I saw, rising out of the sea, a wild Beast with ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names.

2 The beast I saw looked like a leopard, but his feet looked like those of a bear, and his mouth looked like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority.

The Beast that I saw was like a leopard; but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth like the mouth of a lion. The Dragon gave it his power and his throne, and wide dominion.

3 One of his heads seemed to have suffered a death-blow, but this fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder at the beast,

One of its heads seemed to me to have been mortally wounded, but its deadly wound had been healed. The whole earth followed the Beast, wondering;

4 and they worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, asking “Who is like the beast? Who could defeat him?”

and men worshiped the Dragon, because he had given his dominion to the Beast; while, as they worshiped the Beast, they said – “Who can compare with the Beast? And who can fight with it?”

5 He was given the ability to make great boasts and speak blasphemies, and he was also given the authority to do this for forty-two months.

The Beast was given a mouth that spoke proudly and blasphemously, and it was empowered to work its will for forty-two months.

6 As soon as he opened his mouth he spoke blasphemies against God, insulting his character, his sanctuary, and those who live in heaven.

It opened its mouth only to blaspheme God, to blaspheme his name and his tent – those who live in his tent in heaven.

7 The beast was given power to attack believers and defeat them, and he was also given authority over every people, tribe, language, and nation.

It had been permitted to fight with Christ’s people and to conquer them, and it had received power over men of every tribe, and people, and language, and nation.

8 Everybody living on earth will worship him, those whose names had not been written in the book of life—the book of life that belongs to the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world.

All who are living on earth will worship it – all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb that has been sacrificed from the foundation of the world.

9 If you have ears, listen!

Let those who have ears hear.

10 Anyone who has to go into captivity will go into captivity; anyone who has to die by the sword will die by the sword. This demonstrates the patient endurance and confidence in God of the believers.

Whoever is destined for captivity goes into captivity. Whoever will kill with the sword must inevitably be killed with the sword. (Here there is need for endurance and faith on the part of Christ’s people.)

11 Then I saw another beast, rising up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.

Then I saw, rising out of the earth, another wild Beast. It had two horns like those of a lamb, and its voice was like a dragon’s.

12 He imposed the same authority as the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who live there worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

It exercises all the authority of the first Beast under its eyes; and it makes the earth and all who are living on it worship that first Beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

13 He performed great miracles, even bringing fire down from heaven to earth while people watched.

It performs great marvels, even causing fire to fall from the heavens to the earth, before people’s eyes;

14 He deceived those who live on the earth by the miracles he performed on behalf of the beast, ordering the people that they should make an image for the beast who had received the fatal sword wound but came back to life.

and in consequence of the marvels which it was allowed to perform under the eyes of the Beast, it is able to deceive all who are living on the earth. It tells those who live on the earth to make a statue in honour of the Beast, who, despite the wound from the sword, yet lived.

15 He was permitted to breathe life into the image of the beast so that it could speak, ordering anyone who did not worship it put to death.

It was permitted to breathe life into the image of the Beast, so that the image of the Beast might speak; and it was also permitted to cause all who refused to worship the image of the Beast to be put to death.

16 He made everyone, whether weak or powerful, rich or poor, free or slave, receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads.

High and low, rich and poor, free and enslaved – it causes a brand to be put on the right hand or on the forehead of every one of them,

17 Nobody was permitted to buy or sell except those who had the mark, which was the name of the beast or the number of his name.

so that no one is able to buy or sell, except those that bear this brand – either the name of the Beast or the number indicated by the letters of his name.

18 Wisdom is needed here. Whoever has understanding should calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

(Here there is need for discernment.) The person with ability can compute the number of the Beast; for the number indicates a person’s name. Its number is six hundred and sixty-six.