13:1 Then 1 I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It 2 had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, 3 and on its heads a blasphemous name. 4 13:2 Now 5 the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The 6 dragon gave the beast 7 his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. 8 13:3 One of the beast’s 9 heads appeared to have been killed, 10 but the lethal wound had been healed. 11 And the whole world followed 12 the beast in amazement; 13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority 13 to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?” 14 13:5 The beast 15 was given a mouth speaking proud words 16 and blasphemies, and he was permitted 17 to exercise ruling authority 18 for forty-two months. 13:6 So 19 the beast 20 opened his mouth to blaspheme against God – to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, 21 that is, those who dwell in heaven. 13:7 The beast 22 was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. 23 He was given ruling authority 24 over every tribe, people, 25 language, and nation, 13:8 and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, 26 everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world 27 in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. 28 13:9 If anyone has an ear, he had better listen!
13:10 If anyone is meant for captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed by the sword, 29
then by the sword he must be killed.
This 30 requires steadfast endurance 31 and faith from the saints.
13:11 Then 32 I saw another beast 33 coming up from the earth. He 34 had two horns like a lamb, 35 but 36 was speaking like a dragon. 13:12 He 37 exercised all the ruling authority 38 of the first beast on his behalf, 39 and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. 13:13 He 40 performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven in front of people 41 13:14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told 42 those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. 13:15 The second beast 43 was empowered 44 to give life 45 to the image of the first beast 46 so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 13:16 He also caused 47 everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave 48 ) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 13:17 Thus no one was allowed to buy 49 or sell things 50 unless he bore 51 the mark of the beast – that is, his name or his number. 52 13:18 This calls for wisdom: 53 Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, 54 and his number is 666. 55