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¹ Then the dragon[fn] stood on the sand of the seashore. I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten royal crowns on its horns. On its heads were blasphemous names.[xr] ² The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear's feet, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave it his power, his throne, and complete authority.[xr] ³ One of the beast's[fn] heads looked like it had a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed. And in amazement the whole world followed the beast.[xr] ⁴ They worshiped the dragon because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight a war with it?"[xr] ⁵ The beast was allowed[fn] to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for forty-two months.[xr] ⁶ It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God and to blaspheme his name and his residence,[fn] that is, those who are living in heaven.[xr] ⁷ It was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.[fn] It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.[xr] ⁸ All those living on earth will worship it, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life belonging to the lamb that was slaughtered from the foundation of the world.[xr] ⁹ Let anyone who has an ear listen:[xr] ¹⁰ If anyone is to be taken captive,[xr] he must go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with a sword, he must be killed with a sword. This is what the endurance and faith of the saints means.

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it talked like a dragon.[xr] ¹² It uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf,[fn] and it makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.[xr] ¹³ It performs spectacular signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people.[xr] ¹⁴ It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of[fn] the first[fn] beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.[xr] ¹⁵ The second beast[fn] was allowed to give breath to the image of the first[fn] beast so that the image of the beast could talk and put to death those who would not worship the image of the beast.[xr] ¹⁶ The second beast[fn] forces all people - important and unimportant, rich and poor, free and slaves - to be marked on their right hands or on their foreheads,[xr] ¹⁷ so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the beast's name or the number of its name.[xr] ¹⁸ This calls for wisdom: Let the person who has understanding figure out the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person.[fn] Its number is 666.[fn][xr]