³ One of the heads of the beast looked as if it ·had been killed by a wound [had a fatal/mortal wound; ^Lwas slain to death; ^Can evil imitation of the Lamb that was slain; 5:6], but this ·death wound [fatal/mortal wound; ^Lwound of its death] was healed [^Ca false imitation of the resurrection]. Then the whole world was amazed and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given his ·power [authority] to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast, asking, “Who is like the beast [Ex. 15:11]? Who can make war against ·it [or him]?”

⁵ The beast was ·allowed [^Lgiven a mouth] to say ·proud words [^Lgreat things; Dan. 7:8, 11, 20] and ·words against God [^Lblasphemies; Dan. 11:36], and it was allowed to ·use [exercise] its ·power [authority] for forty-two months [11:2].

¹² This beast ·stands before the first beast and uses the same power the first beast has [or uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf]. By this ·power [authority] it makes ·everyone living on earth [^Lthe earth and its inhabitants] worship the first beast, who had the ·death wound [fatal/mortal wound; ^Lwound of its death] that was healed. ¹³ And the second beast ·does great miracles [performs great signs] so that it even makes fire come down from heaven to earth [1 Kin. 18:38; 2 Kin. 1:10, 12] ·while people are watching [^Lbefore people]. ¹⁴ It ·fools [deceives; tricks] those who live on earth by the ·miracles [signs; ^Cthese are counterfeit miracles] it has been given the power to do. It does these ·miracles [signs] ·to serve the first beast [^Lbefore/in the presence of the first beast]. The second beast orders [tells] people to make an ·idol [image] to honor the first beast, the one that ·was wounded by the deadly [^Lhas the wound of the] sword but ·sprang to life again [lives].