< Revelation 13 >
1 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 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 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 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 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 It [MTY] insulted God, insulted the place where he lives, and insulted everyone who lives with him in heaven.
7 [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 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 Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to [this message from God]:
10 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, 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 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 The second beast performed awesome miracles, even causing fire from the sky to fall to earth while people watched.
14 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 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 [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 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 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.
