Revelation 13-14

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 13

The First Beast.^{[a] 1} Then I saw a beast come out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous name[s].^{(A) 2} The beast I saw was like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear’s, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion.^[b](B) To it the dragon gave its own power and throne, along with great authority. ³ I saw that one of its heads seemed to have been mortally wounded, but this mortal wound was healed.^[c] Fascinated, the whole world followed after the beast. ⁴ They worshiped the dragon because it gave its authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast^[d] and said, “Who can compare with the beast or who can fight against it?”

^5 [e]The beast was given a mouth uttering proud boasts and blasphemies,^(C) and it was given authority to act for forty-two months.^{[f] 6} It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was also allowed to wage war against the holy ones and conquer them, and it was granted authority over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation.^{(D) 8} All the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, all whose names were not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life, which belongs to the Lamb who was slain.^(E)

Such is the faithful endurance of the holy ones.

The Second Beast.^{[g] 11} Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb’s but spoke like a dragon. ¹² It wielded all the authority of the first beast in its sight and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. ¹³ It performed great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of everyone.^{(H) 14} It deceived the inhabitants of the earth with the signs it was allowed to perform in the sight of the first beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who had been wounded by the sword and revived. ¹⁵ It was then permitted to breathe life into the beast’s image, so that the beast’s image could speak and [could] have anyone who did not worship it put to death.^{(I) 16} It forced all the people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to be given a stamped image on their right hands or their foreheads,^{(J) 17} so that no one could buy or sell except one who had the stamped image of the beast’s name or the number that stood for its name.

^18 [h](K)Wisdom is needed here; one who understands can calculate the number of the beast, for it is a number that stands for a person. His number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Chapter 14

The Lamb’s Companions.^{[i] 1} Then I looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,^[j] and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.^{(L) 2} I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. ³ They were singing [what seemed to be] a new hymn before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been ransomed from the earth.^{(M) 4} These are they who were not defiled with women; they are virgins^[k] and these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been ransomed as the firstfruits of the human race for God and the Lamb.^{(N) 5} On their lips no deceit^[l] has been found; they are unblemished.^(O)

The Three Angels.^{[m] 6} Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, with everlasting good news^[n] to announce to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for his time has come to sit in judgment. Worship him who made heaven and earth and sea and springs of water.”^(P)

⁸ A second angel followed, saying:

⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, “Anyone who worships the beast or its image, or accepts its mark on forehead or hand, ¹⁰ will also drink the wine of God’s fury,^[p] poured full strength into the cup of his wrath, and will be tormented in burning sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of the fire that torments them will rise forever and ever, and there will be no relief day or night for those who worship the beast or its image or accept the mark of its name.”^{(R) 12} Here is what sustains the holy ones who keep God’s commandments^(S) and their faith in Jesus.^[q]

^13 (T)I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” said the Spirit, “let them find rest from their labors, for their works accompany them.”^[r]

The Harvest of the Earth.^{[s] 14} Then I looked and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.^{(U) 15} Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the time to reap has come, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe.”^{(V) 16} So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven who also had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Then another angel [came] from the altar,^[t] [who] was in charge of the fire, and cried out in a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth’s vines, for its grapes are ripe.” ¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth’s vintage. He threw it into the great wine press of God’s fury.^{(W) 20} The wine press was trodden outside the city and blood poured out of the wine press to the height of a horse’s bridle for two hundred miles.^[u]