Revelation 13

1 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.

Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

2 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.

The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

3 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;

One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast.

4 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?’

They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”

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

The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.

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

And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.

7 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.

Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

8 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.

And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

9 Let those who have ears hear.

He who has an ear, let him hear:

10 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.)

“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

11 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.

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.

12 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.

And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.

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

And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people.

14 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 honor of the Beast, who, despite the wound from the sword, yet lived.

Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

15 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.

The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.

16 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,

And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

17 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.

so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 (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.

Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.