Revelation 13
13
The Beast from the Sea
1I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns on its horns. There were insulting names on its heads. 2The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear’s feet. Its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The serpent gave its power, kingdom, and far-reaching authority to the beast. 3One of the beast’s heads looked like it had a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed.
All the people of the world were amazed and followed the beast. 4They worshiped the serpent because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, “Who is like the beast? Who can fight a war with it?” 5The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and insulting things. It was given authority to act for 42 months. 6It opened its mouth to insult God, to insult his name and his tent—those who are living in heaven. 7It was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8Everyone living on earth will worship it, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life. That book belongs to the lamb who was slaughtered before the creation of the world.
9If anyone has ears, let him listen:
10If anyone is taken prisoner, he must go to prison.
If anyone is killed with a sword, with a sword he must be killed.
In this situation God’s holy people need endurance and confidence.
The Beast from the Earth
11I saw another beast come from the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb. It talked like a serpent. 12The second beast uses all the authority of the first beast in its presence. The second beast makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13The second beast performs spectacular signs. It even makes fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people. 14It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do in front of the ⌞first⌟ beast. It tells those living on earth to make a statue for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.
15The second beast was allowed to put breath into the statue of the ⌞first⌟ beast. Then the statue of the ⌞first⌟ beast could talk and put to death whoever would not worship it. 16The second beast forces all people—important and unimportant people, rich and poor people, free people and slaves—to be branded on their right hands or on their foreheads. 17It does this so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the brand, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name.
18In this situation wisdom is needed. Let the person who has insight figure out the number of the beast, because it is a human number.#13:18 Or “it is the number of a human.” The beast’s number is 666.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Revelation 13
13
The Two Beasts
1 #
Dn 7.3; 2 Esd 11.1;
Rev 17.3,7-12. I looked and saw a beast coming up from the sea. This one had ten horns and seven heads, and a crown was on each of its ten horns. On each of its heads were names that were an insult to God. 2#Dn 7.4-6. The beast I saw had the body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. The dragon handed over its own power and throne and great authority to this beast. 3One of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but now it was well. Everyone on earth marveled at this beast, 4and they worshiped the dragon who had given its authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, “No one is like this beast! No one can fight against it.”
5 #
Dn 7.8,25; 11.36. The beast was allowed to brag and claim to be God, and for 42 months it was allowed to rule. 6The beast cursed God, and it cursed the name of God. It even cursed the place where God lives, as well as everyone who lives in heaven with God. 7#Dn 7.21. It was allowed to fight against God's people and defeat them. It was also given authority over the people of every tribe, nation, language, and race. 8#Ps 69.28. The beast was worshiped by everyone whose name wasn't written before the time of creation in the book of the Lamb who was killed.#13.8 wasn't written … was killed: Or “not written in the book of the Lamb who was killed before the time of creation.”
9If you have ears,
then listen!
10 #
Jr 15.2; 43.11. If you are doomed
to be captured,
you will be captured.
If you are doomed
to be killed by a sword,
you will be killed
by a sword.
This means God's people must learn to endure and be faithful!
11I now saw another beast. This one came out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12It worked for the beast whose fatal wound had been healed. And it used all its authority to force the earth and its people to worship that beast. 13It worked mighty miracles, and while people watched, it even made fire come down from the sky.
14This second beast fooled people on earth by working miracles for the first one. Then it talked them into making an idol in the form of the beast that did not die after being wounded by a sword. 15It was allowed to put breath into the idol, so it could speak. Everyone who refused to worship the idol of the beast was put to death. 16#3 Macc 2.29. All people were forced to put a mark on their right hand or forehead. Whether they were powerful or weak, rich or poor, free people or slaves, 17they all had to have this mark, or else they could not buy or sell anything. This mark stood for the name of the beast and for the number of its name.
18You need wisdom to understand the number of the beast! But if you are smart enough, you can figure this out. Its number is 666, and it stands for a person.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.