Revelation 13

1 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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?"

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 And there was given him a mouth full of boastful and blasphemous words; and liberty of action was granted him 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 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.

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

7 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.

[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 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.

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 Let all who have ears give heed.

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

10 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 also works great miracles, so as even to make fire come down from Heaven to earth in the presence of human beings.

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

14 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.

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 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.

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 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,

[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 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.

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 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.

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.