1The dragon stood on the seashore. I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. There were ten crowns on its horns. On each head was an evil name that brought shame to God.2The beast I saw looked like a leopard. But it had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority.3One of the beast’s heads seemed to have had a deadly wound. But the wound had been healed. The whole world was amazed and followed the beast.4People worshipped the dragon, because he had given authority to the beast. They also worshipped the beast. They asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against it?’5The beast was given a mouth to boast and speak evil things against God. The beast was allowed to use its authority for 42 months.6The beast opened its mouth to speak evil things against God. It told lies about God and about the place where God lives. And it told lies about those who live in heaven with him.7The beast was allowed to make war against God’s holy people and to overcome them. It was given authority over every tribe, people and nation, no matter what language they spoke.8Many people who live on the earth will worship the beast. They are the ones whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the one whose death was planned before the world was created.9Whoever has ears should listen.10‘Everyone who is supposed to be captured will be captured. Everyone who is supposed to be killed by a sword will be killed by a sword.’ So God’s people must be patient and faithful. (Jer 15:2)
The beast who comes out of the earth
11Then I saw a second beast. This one came out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb. But it spoke like a dragon.12This beast had all the authority of the first beast. It did what the first beast wanted. It made the earth and all who live on it worship the first beast. The first beast was the one whose deadly wound had been healed.13The second beast performed great signs. It even made fire come from heaven to the earth. And the fire was seen by everyone.14The first beast had given the second beast the power to perform these signs. By these signs, the second beast tricked those who live on the earth. The second beast ordered people to set up a statue to honour the first beast. The first beast was the one who had been wounded by a sword and still lived.15The second beast was allowed to give breath to this statue so it could speak. The statue could kill all who refused to worship it.16It also forced everyone to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. People great or small, rich or poor, free or slave had to receive the mark.17They could not buy or sell anything unless they had the mark. The mark is the name of the beast or the number of its name.18This problem requires wisdom. Anyone who is wise should figure out what the beast’s number means. It is the number of a man. And that number is 666.
Revelation 13
English Standard Version
The First Beast
1And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. (Da 7:3; Re 12:3; Re 17:3)2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. (Da 7:4; Da 7:5; Da 7:6; Lu 4:6; Re 13:4; Re 13:11; Re 16:10)3One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. (Re 17:8)4And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” (Re 18:18)5And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. (Da 7:8; Da 7:11; Da 7:20; Da 11:36; 2Th 2:4; Re 11:2; Re 12:6)6It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,[1] that is, those who dwell in heaven.7Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.[2] And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, (Da 7:21; Re 11:7; Re 12:17)8and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. (Ac 2:23; 1Pe 1:19; Re 3:5; Re 3:10; Re 5:6)9If anyone has an ear, let him hear: (Re 2:7)10If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. (Ge 9:6; Isa 33:1; Jer 15:2; Jer 43:11; Re 14:12)
The Second Beast
11Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. (Re 13:1; Re 13:14; Re 16:13)12It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,[3] and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. (Re 13:3)13It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, (De 13:1; 1Ki 18:38; 2Ki 1:10; 2Ki 1:12; Mt 24:24; Lu 9:54; 2Th 2:9; Re 16:14; Re 19:20; Re 20:9)14and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of[4] the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (Re 12:9; Re 13:3; Re 13:12)15And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. (Re 14:9; Re 14:11; Re 16:2; Re 16:6; Re 19:20; Re 20:4)16Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,[5] to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, (Ga 6:17; Re 7:3)17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. (Re 14:11; Re 15:2)18This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.[6] (Re 17:9; Re 21:17)