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].

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.

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].

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.

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.

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.

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]

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

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.

And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and authority was given him to operate forty and two months.

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

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy towards God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them who dwell 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

If any one hath ears, let him hear.

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].

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.

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.

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.

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.

And before him he exercised all the authority of the first beast of prey, whose deadly wound was healed.

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

And he wrought great signs, even so as to make fire come down from heaven upon the earth, before men.

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.

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.

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}.

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:

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]!

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;

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].

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.

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.

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.