Revelation 13

1 And he stood on the sand of the sea. And 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 dragon stood on the ocean shore. I saw a beast that was coming up out of the ocean. It had ten horns and seven heads. On each [of] its horns there was a royal crown. On [each] of its heads there was a name that insulted [God].

2 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 serpent gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

The beast that I saw was like a leopard. But its feet were like the feet of a bear, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave the beast [power]. From his own throne he also gave it authority [to rule people] [DOU].

3 One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.

One of the heads of the beast had been wounded {[The Lord] had wounded one of the heads of the beast}, causing the beast to almost die. But its wound was healed. [As a result, nearly] all [the people of] the earth [HYP, MTY] marveled at the beast and became his disciples.

4 They worshiped the serpent, 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?"

They worshipped the dragon, because he had given to the beast authority [to rule people]. They also worshipped the beast, saying, “No one is [as powerful] as the beast!/ [RHQ] (No one would dare to fight against it!/Who would dare to fight against it?)” [RHQ]

5 A mouth was given to him speaking proud words and blasphemies. There was given to him authority to act for forty-two months.

The beast was allowed {[God] allowed the beast} to speak [MTY] in a boastful way and to insult [God]. [It was also] allowed {[God] also allowed it} to rule [over people] for 42 months.

6 He opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven.

It [MTY] insulted God, insulted the place where he lives, and insulted everyone who lives with him in heaven.

7 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.

[It was] allowed {[God] allowed it} to fight against God’s people and to conquer them. [It was] allowed {[God] allowed it} to have authority [to rule] over every tribe, over every people-[group], over [speakers of] every language [MTY], and over every nation.

8 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.

Most of [HYP] the [people] living on earth worshipped it. They were people whose names were not written in a book by the [one who is like a] lamb, the one who had been killed. Since the beginning of the world [he wrote in it the names of the people who] will have [eternal] life.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to [this message from God]:

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 with the sword. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

If [God has determined] that some people will be captured by their [enemies], they will be captured. If [God has determined that] some people will be killed with a sword, they will be killed with a sword. So God’s people [must be] steadfast, and remain faithful [to him].

11 I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a serpent.

I saw another beast, which was coming up from the earth. It had two small horns [on its head] like a sheep has. But it spoke [things to deceive people], like the dragon does.

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.

While the first beast watched, it used all the [same] authority [to rule people that the first beast had]. It forced the people who live on the earth [MTY, DOU] to worship the first beast, that is, the one who was healed of the wound that had caused it to almost die.

13 He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of people.

The second beast performed awesome miracles, even causing fire from the sky to fall to earth while people watched.

14 He deceives those 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 been wounded by the sword and yet lived.

He performed miracles (on behalf of/with the authority of) the [first] beast. By doing that he deceived the [unbelieving] people on the earth so that they [believed that they should worship the first beast. But this happened only because God] allowed [it to happen]. The second beast told the people living on earth to make an image of the [first] beast, the one that [people] had almost killed with a sword and that then came back to life again.

15 It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast could both speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

The image of the [first] beast was allowed to breathe, in order that it might speak and in order that [it might command that] whoever refused to worship its image should be killed {that [people] should kill whoever refused to worship its image}.

16 He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead;

[The second beast] required also that [the first beast’s name] be marked {[its agents] mark [the first beast’s name]} on the right hand or on the forehead of everyone, those of little [social importance] and of great [social importance], the rich and the poor, free [people] and slaves. [Everyone]!

17 and that no one could be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.

They did this in order that people could not buy [anything] or sell [anything] if they did not have the mark, which represents the name of the beast or the number of its name, [on their foreheads].

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.

You must [think] wisely to understand [the meaning of the mark]. Anyone who thinks wisely should calculate from the number of the beast what the man’s name is. That number is 666.