The Beast from the Sea

1And I saw rising out of the sea a beast, having ten horns, and seven heads, and on its horns, ten diadems, and upon its heads, names of blasphemy. 2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and its feet like a bear’s, and its mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave to it his power, and his throne, and great authority.

3And one of its heads was as having been slain to death. And its wound of death was healed, and the whole earth marveled after the beast. 4And they worshiped the dragon, who had given authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? And who is able to make war against it?”

5And a mouth was given to it, speaking great things and blasphemy, and it was given authority to act forty and two months. 6And it opened its mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, those dwelling in heaven.

7And there was given to it to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And authority was given to it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. 8And all dwelling on the earth will worship it, of whom their names have not been written from the founding of the world in the book of life of the Lamb having been slain.

9If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

10“If anyone is to go into captivity,

into captivity he goes;

If anyone is to be killeda with the sword,

by the sword it is necessary for him to be killed.”b

Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

11And I saw another beast rising out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, and it was speaking like a dragon. 12And it exercises all the authority of the first beast in the presence of it, and causes the earth and those dwelling in it, that they will worship the first beast, of whom its fatal wound had been healed.

13And it works great signs, so that it should even cause fire out of heaven to come down to the earth in the presence of men. 14And it deceives those dwelling on the earth, by reason of the signs that were given to it to perform before the beast, telling those dwelling on the earth to make an image to the beast that has the wound of the sword and has lived. 15And there was given to it to give breath to the image of the beast, so that image of the beast also should speak, and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast would be killed.

The Mark of the Beast

16And it causes all the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the servants, that it should give them a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17and that no one should be able to buy or to sell, if not the one having the mark—the name of the beast, or the number of its name.

18Here is the wisdom. The one having understanding, let him count the number of the beast, for it is a man’s number, and its number is six hundred sixty-six.c