| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name. | 1Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. |
| 2Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. | 2This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority. |
| 3One of the beast's heads appeared to have been killed, but the lethal wound had been healed. And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; | 3I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. |
| 4they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: "Who is like the beast?" and "Who is able to make war against him?" | 4They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?” |
| 5The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months. | 5Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. |
| 6So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God--to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven. | 6And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. |
| 7The beast was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation, | 7And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. |
| 8and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. | 8And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made. |
| 9If anyone has an ear, he had better listen! | 9Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. |
| 10If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed by the sword, then by the sword he must be killed. This requires steadfast endurance and faith from the saints. | 10Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. The Beast out of the Earth |
| 11Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but was speaking like a dragon. | 11Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. |
| 12He exercised all the ruling authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. | 12He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. |
| 13He performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven in front of people | 13He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. |
| 14and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. | 14And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. |
| 15The second beast was empowered to give life to the image of the first beast so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. | 15He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. |
| 16He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. | 16He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. |
| 17Thus no one was allowed to buy or sell things unless he bore the mark of the beast--that is, his name or his number. | 17And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. |
| 18This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the beast's number, for it is man's number, and his number is 666. | 18Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. |
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