Revelation 13
13
The Two Beasts
1Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. There was a crown on each horn. A name against God was written on each head. 2This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear’s feet. He had a mouth like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast all of his power and his throne and great authority. 3One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been wounded and killed. But this death wound was healed. The whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4People worshiped the dragon because he had given his power to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast. They asked, “Who is as powerful as the beast? Who can make war against him?”
5The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God. He was allowed to use his power for 42 months. 6He used his mouth to speak against God. He spoke against God’s name, against the place where God lives, and against all those who live in heaven. 7He was given power to make war against God’s holy people and to defeat them. He was given power over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8All who live on earth will worship the beast. These are all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the One who was killed.
9If anyone has ears, he should listen:
10If anyone is to be a prisoner,
then he will be a prisoner.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
then he will be killed with the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must have patience and faith.
11Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he talked like a dragon. 12This beast stands before the first beast and uses the same power that the first beast has. He uses this power to make everyone living on earth worship the first beast. The first beast was the one that had the death wound that was healed. 13The second one does great miracles. He even makes fire come down from heaven to earth while people are watching. 14This second beast fools those who live on earth. He fools them by the miracles he has been given the power to do. He does these miracles to serve the first beast. The second beast ordered people to make an idol to honor the first beast. This was the one that was wounded by the sword but did not die. 15The second beast was given power to give life to the idol of the first one. Then the idol could speak and order all who did not worship it to be killed. 16The second animal also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17No one could buy or sell without this mark. This mark is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18Whoever has understanding can find the meaning of the number. This requires wisdom. This number is the number of a man. His number is 666.# Some Greek copies read “616.”
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Revelation 13: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Revelation 13
13
The Beast out of the Sea
1Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. 2This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.
3I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. 4They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
5Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. 6And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven.#13:6 Some manuscripts read and his dwelling and all who dwell in heaven. 7And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.#13:8 Or not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.
9Anyone with ears to hear
should listen and understand.
10Anyone who is destined for prison
will be taken to prison.
Anyone destined to die by the sword
will die by the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.
The Beast out of the Earth
11Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. 12He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. 14And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.
16He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.#13:18a Or of humanity. His number is 666.#13:18b Some manuscripts read 616.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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