Revelation 13

1 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.

And the dragon stood on the sea shore. Then I saw a beast rising out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten small crowns on his horns, and had blasphemous names on his heads.

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.

The beast I saw looked like a leopard, but his feet looked like those of a bear, and his mouth looked like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, 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.

One of his heads seemed to have suffered a death-blow, but this fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder at 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?

and they worshiped the dragon because he had given his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, asking “Who is like the beast? Who could defeat 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.

He was given the ability to make great boasts and speak blasphemies, and he was also given the authority to do this for forty-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.

As soon as he opened his mouth he spoke blasphemies against God, insulting his character, his sanctuary, and those who live 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.

The beast was given power to attack believers and defeat them, and he was also given authority over every people, tribe, language, and nation.

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.

Everybody living on earth will worship him, those whose names had not been written in the book of life—the book of life that belongs to the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

If you have ears, listen!

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.

Anyone who has to go into captivity will go into captivity; anyone who has to die by the sword will die by the sword. This demonstrates the patient endurance and confidence in God of the believers.

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.

Then I saw another beast, rising up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like 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.

He imposed the same authority as the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who live there worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

He performed great miracles, even bringing fire down from heaven to earth while people watched.

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.

He deceived those who live on the earth by the miracles he performed on behalf of the beast, ordering the people that they should make an image for the beast who had received the fatal sword wound but came back to life.

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.

He was permitted to breathe life into the image of the beast so that it could speak, ordering anyone who did not worship it put to death.

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:

He made everyone, whether weak or powerful, rich or poor, free or slave, receive a mark on their right hand or on 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.

Nobody was permitted to buy or sell except those who had the mark, which was 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.

Wisdom is needed here. Whoever has understanding should calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.