1Tu som videl, ako sa z mora vynorila dravá šelma, ktorá mala desať rohov a sedem hláv. Na každom rohu mala kráľovský diadém a na hlave rúhavé mená urážajúce Boha.2Vyzerala ako leopard, nohy pripomínali medvedie laby a tlamu mala ako lev. Drak jej dal svoju silu, svoj trón i veľkú moc.3Jedna z jej hláv akoby bola smrteľne ranená, ale rana sa zahojila.Celá zem obdivovala šelmu.4Klaňali sa drakovi, že dal šelme moc, a klaňali sa aj šelme a volali: „Kto sa môže rovnať tej dravej šelme, kto sa s ňou odváži bojovať?“5Z jej tlamy vychádzali spupné a rúhavé reči a mohla to robiť štyridsaťdva mesiacov.6A tak sa celý ten čas rúhala Bohu, jeho menu i jeho príbytku, všetkým, čo bývajú v nebi.7Bolo jej dovolené, aby bojovala proti Božiemu ľudu a víťazila nad ním. Dostala moc nad každým kmeňom, ľudom, jazykom i národom.8A budú sa jej všetci hlboko klaňať, všetci obyvatelia na zemi, ktorých mená nie sú zapísané v knihe života obetovaného Baránka.9Počúvajte pozorne!10Kto má ísť do zajatia, pôjde do zajatia. Kto má byť zabitý mečom, musí byť mečom zabitý. Tu sa musí prejaviť vytrvalosť Božích detí a ich viera v Krista.
Zemská šelma
11Potom som videl inú šelmu, ako vystupuje zo zeme. Mala iba dva rohy ako baránok, ale hlas ako drak.12Tá sa teraz stáva vykonávateľom moci prvej šelmy, ktorá sa vyliečila zo smrteľného zranenia a núti všetkých obyvateľov zeme, aby sa jej klaňali.13Robí veľké zázraky, dokonca aj oheň z neba nechá zostúpiť na zem pred očami ľudí.14Týmito zázrakmi zvyšuje česť prvej šelmy a zvádza nimi obyvateľov zeme. Prehovára ich, aby postavili sochu šelme, ktorá zranenie prežila.15Podarilo sa jej dokonca sochu oživiť, takže prehovorila, a spôsobiť, aby boli usmrtení všetci, ktorí sa tej soche neklaňajú.16A núti všetkých, malých aj veľkých, bohatých aj chudobných, slobodných aj otrokov, aby si dali urobiť na pravú ruku alebo na čelo znamenie.17A nikto nemohol zohnať prácu alebo niečo predať, ak nemal toto znamenie. A týmto znamením bolo meno šelmy napísané literami alebo číslami.18Tu je potrebná múdrosť. Kto má bystrý rozum, nech zráta číslo tej šelmy. To číslo označuje človeka, a je to číslo 666.
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. (Dan 7,3; Zjv 12,3; Zjv 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. (Dan 7,4; Dan 7,5; Dan 7,6; Lk 4,6; Zjv 13,4; Zjv 13,11; Zjv 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. (Zjv 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?” (Zjv 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. (Dan 7,8; Dan 7,11; Dan 7,20; Dan 11,36; 2 Sol 2,4; Zjv 11,2; Zjv 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, (Dan 7,21; Zjv 11,7; Zjv 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. (Sk 2,23; 1 Pt 1,19; Zjv 3,5; Zjv 3,10; Zjv 5,6)9If anyone has an ear, let him hear: (Zjv 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. (Gn 9,6; Iz 33,1; Jer 15,2; Jer 43,11; Zjv 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. (Zjv 13,1; Zjv 13,14; Zjv 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. (Zjv 13,3)13It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, (Dt 13,1; 1 Kr 18,38; 2 Kr 1,10; 2 Kr 1,12; Mt 24,24; Lk 9,54; 2 Sol 2,9; Zjv 16,14; Zjv 19,20; Zjv 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. (Zjv 12,9; Zjv 13,3; Zjv 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. (Zjv 14,9; Zjv 14,11; Zjv 16,2; Zjv 16,6; Zjv 19,20; Zjv 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, (Gal 6,17; Zjv 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. (Zjv 14,11; Zjv 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] (Zjv 17,9; Zjv 21,17)