1The dragon[1] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.2The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.4People worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?’5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.6It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling-place and those who live in heaven.7It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.[2]9Whoever has ears, let them hear.10‘If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed[3] with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.’ This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people. (Jer 15:2)
The beast out of the earth
11Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.12It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.13And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.14Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honour of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.15The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.16It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,17so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.18This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[4] 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)