Revelation 13

1 And I saw a beast of prey come up from the sea, having ten horns, and seven heads; and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his 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 of prey which I saw, was like a leopard; and his feet like those of a wolf, and his mouth like the mouth of lions: and the dragon gave to him his own 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 his heads was wounded as it were to death; and his deadly wound was healed. And all the earth wondered after the beast of prey.

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 worshipped the dragon, because he had given authority to this beast of prey, and they said, who can make war upon him?

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 there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and authority was given him to operate forty and 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 he opened his mouth in blasphemy towards God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them 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 authority was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation: and it was given him to wage war with the saints, and to overcome them.

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 that dwell on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, will worship him.

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 one hath ears, let him hear.

Let all who have ears give heed.

10 If any one carrieth into captivity, he shall himself go into captivity; and if any one slayeth with the sword, he must be slain with the sword: here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

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 of prey, which came out of the earth; and he had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke like the 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 before him he exercised all the authority of the first beast of prey, whose deadly 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 he wrought great signs, even so as to make fire come down from heaven upon the earth, before 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 he seduced them that dwell on the earth, to erect an image to the beast of prey who had the wound from a sword and recovered.

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 him to put life into the image of the beast of prey; and to cause that all they who would not worship the image of the beast of prey, should be slain:

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 to cause that all, great and small, rich and poor, bond and free, should receive a mark on their right hands, or upon 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 so that no one might be able to buy or to sell, except those who had the mark of the name of the beast of prey, or the number of his 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: let him that hath intelligence, compute the number of the beast of prey; for it is the number of a man: and its number is six hundred and sixty and six.

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.