The Two Beasts
1 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 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. 3 One of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but now it was well. Everyone on earth marveled at this beast, 4 and 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 The beast was allowed to brag and claim to be God, and for 42 months it was allowed to rule. 6 The 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 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 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.
9 If you have ears,
then listen!
10 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!
11 I now saw another beast. This one came out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12 It 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. 13 It worked mighty miracles, and while people watched, it even made fire come down from the sky.
14 This 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. 15 It 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 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, 17 they 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.
18 You 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.
1 And I saw a beast rise out of the sea, hauing seuen heads, and ten hornes, and vpon his hornes were ten crownes, and vpon his heads the name of blasphemie. 2 And the beast which I sawe, was like a Leopard, and his feete like a beares, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gaue him his power and his throne, and great authoritie. 3 And I sawe one of his heads as it were wounded to death, but his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondred and folowed the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gaue power vnto the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like vnto the beast! who is able to warre with him! 5 And there was giuen vnto him a mouth, that spake great things and blasphemies, and power was giuen vnto him, to doe two and fourtie moneths. 6 And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against God, to blaspheme his Name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heauen. 7 And it was giuen vnto him to make warre with the Saints, and to ouercome them, and power was giuen him ouer euery kinred, and tongue, and nation. 8 Therefore all that dwell vpon the earth, shall worship him, whose names are not written in the booke of life of that Lambe, which was slaine from the beginning of the world. 9 If any man haue an eare, let him heare. 10 If any leade into captiuitie, hee shall go into captiuitie: if any kill with a sword, he must be killed by a sword: here is the patience and the faith of the Saints. 11 And I beheld another beast comming vp out of the earth, which had two hornes like the Lambe, but he spake like the dragon. 12 And he did all that the first beast could doe before him, and he caused the earth, and them which dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he did great wonders, so that hee made fire to come downe from heauen on the earth, in the sight of men, 14 And deceiued them that dwell on the earth by the signes, which were permitted to him to doe in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound of a sword, and did liue. 15 And it was permitted to him to giue a spirit vnto the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast should speake, and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast, should be killed. 16 And he made all, both small and great, rich and poore, free and bond, to receiue a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads, 17 And that no man might buy or sell, saue hee that had the marke, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdome. Let him that hath wit, count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man, and his number is sixe hundreth threescore and sixe.