Revelation 13
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
13 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.(A) It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns,[a](B) and on its heads were blasphemous names.[b](C) 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.(D) The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of its heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but its fatal wound was healed.
The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.(E) 4 They worshipped the dragon(F) because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast?(G) Who is able to wage war against it? ’
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter boasts and blasphemies.(H) It was allowed to exercise authority[c][d] for forty-two months.(I) 6 It began to speak[e] blasphemies against God: to blaspheme his name and his dwelling – those who dwell in heaven. 7 And it was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.(J) It was also given authority(K) over every tribe, people, language, and nation.(L) 8 All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book[f] of life(M) of the Lamb who was slaughtered.[g](N)
9 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.(O)
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
into captivity he goes.
If anyone is to be killed[h] with a sword,
with a sword he will be killed.(P)
This calls for endurance[i] and faithfulness from the saints.(Q)
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb,[j](R) but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 It also performs great signs,(S) even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people.(T) 14 It deceives those who live on the earth(U) because of the signs that it is permitted to perform in the presence of the beast,(V) telling those who live on the earth to make an image[k] of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 It was permitted to give breath[l] to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.(W) 16 And it makes everyone – small and great, rich and poor, free and slave – receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,(X) 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom:[m](Y) Let the one who has understanding calculate[n] the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666.[o]
Footnotes
- 13:1 Or diadems
- 13:1 Other mss read heads was a blasphemous name
- 13:5 Other mss read to wage war
- 13:5 Or to rule
- 13:6 Or He opened his mouth in
- 13:8 Or scroll
- 13:8 Or written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered from the foundation of the world
- 13:10 Other mss read anyone kills
- 13:10 Or Here is the perseverance
- 13:11 Or ram
- 13:14 Or a statue, or a likeness
- 13:15 Or a spirit, or life
- 13:18 Or Here is wisdom
- 13:18 Or count, or work out
- 13:18 Other Gk mss read 616
Revelation 13
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The First Beast
13 And I saw a beast[a] rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder. 4 Men worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months; 6 it opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.[b] And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. 9 If any one has an ear, let him hear:
10 If any one is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if any one slays with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
The Second Beast
11 Then I saw another beast[c] which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men; 14 and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived; 15 and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.[d][e]
Footnotes
- 13.1 a beast: This symbolizes the material forces of evil, arrayed against the church.
- Revelation 13:7 Other ancient authorities omit this sentence
- 13.11 another beast: i.e., the false prophets.
- Revelation 13:18 Other ancient authorities read six hundred and sixteen
- 13.18 six hundred and sixty-six: The letters of Nero’s name plus the title of Caesar, given their numerical meaning in Hebrew and added together, makes 666.
Revelation 13
King James Version
13 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
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The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.