1 Then I saw rising up out of the sea a beast who had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns he had ten diadems, and on his heads blasphemous titles.
2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were bears feet, and his mouth a lions mouth. The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
3 And I saw that one of his heads seemed to have been mortally wounded, but its deadly wound had been healed. The whole earth was following the beast, wondering.
4 Men worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying. "Who is like the beast? Who can fight with him?"
5 And he was permitted to utter loud boasts and blasphemies; and there was given to him authority to continue forty-two months.
6 So he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle (those who live in his tabernacle in heaven).
7 The beast was allowed to wage war upon the saints, and to conquer them; and there was given him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation;
8 and each one whose name has not been written in the Lambs book of life, the Lamb who has been slain from the foundation of the world. All who dwell on the earth shall worship him.
9 Let him who has ears to hear, listen.
10 Whoever is destined to go into captivity, goes into captivity. Whoever shall kill with the sword, shall surely be killed by the sword. (Here is the endurance and faith of the saints.)
11 And I saw another beast ascending from the land; and he had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon;
12 and he exerts the full authority of the first beast before him, and he makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast whose death-stroke was healed.
13 And he performs great miracles, so that he even causes fire to come down to the earth from the sky, before mens eyes.
14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth, because of the miracles, which he is permitted to perform in the sight of the beast. He tells those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the sword-stroke, yet lived.
15 And he was permitted to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast should speak; and so that any one who would not worship the image of the beast should be put to death.
16 And he makes all men, low and high, rich and poor, freemen and slaves, to have a brand put upon their right hands or upon their brows,
17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the brand of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is 666.