\v 1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were names that were insulting to God.
\v 2 This beast I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like a bear's feet, and his mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave his power to him, and his throne, and his great authority to rule.
\v 3 One of the beast's heads appeared to have a fatal wound; but the wound that should have killed him was healed. And the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
\v 4 They also worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast, too, and kept saying, "Who is like the beast? and "Who can fight against him?"
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\v 5 The beast was given a mouth that could speak proud words and insults. He was permitted to exercise authority for forty-two months.
\v 6 So the beast opened his mouth to speak insults against God, insulting his name, the place where he lived, and those who live in heaven.
\v 7 The beast was permitted to make war with the believers and to conquer them. Also, authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation.
\v 8 All who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written, since the creation of the world, in the Book of Life, that belongs to the Lamb, who was slaughtered.
Here is a call for patient endurance and faith for those who are holy.
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\v 11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.
\v 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and made the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast—the one whose lethal wound had been healed.
\v 13 He performed mighty miracles, even making fire come down on the earth from heaven in front of people.
\v 14 He deceived those who lived on the earth by the signs he was permitted to perform. He told them to make an image in honor of the beast who had been wounded by the sword, yet he still lived.
\v 15 He was permitted to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image might even speak and to cause all who refused to worship the beast to be killed.
\v 16 He also forced everyone, unimportant and mighty, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.
\v 17 It was impossible for anyone to buy or sell unless he had the mark of the beast, that is, the number representing his name.
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\v 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast. For it is the number of a human being. His number is 666.
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