Rev 13 | HCSB | STEP | And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea . He had 10 horns and seven heads . On his horns were 10 diadems , and on his heads were blasphemous names .

‏ Revelation of John 13

The Beast from the Sea

1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. ^a He ^{▼▼The beasts in Rv 13:1,11 are customarily referred to as “he” or “him” rather than “it.” The Gk word for a beast (therion) is grammatically neuter.} had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems, ^c and on his heads were blasphemous names. ^{▼▼Other mss read heads was a blasphemous name
,} ^e 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear’s, and his mouth was like a lion’s mouth. ^f The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded, ^{▼▼Lit be slain to death} but his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. ^{▼▼Lit amazed after the beast
,} ⁱ 4 They worshiped the dragon ^j because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? ^k Who is able to wage war against him?”

5 A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies. ^l He was also given authority to act ^{▼▼Other mss read wage war
,} ^{▼▼Or to rule} for 42 months. ^o 6 He began to speak ^{▼▼Lit He opened his mouth in} blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling – those who dwell in heaven. 7 And he was permitted to wage war against the ^{▼▼saint(s)/sanctification/sanctify/sanctified: The work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world; at the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification. The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.}saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. ^r 8 All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book ^{▼▼Or scroll} of life ^t of the Lamb who was slaughtered. ^{▼▼Or written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered from the foundation of the world
,} ^v

9 If anyone has an ear, he should listen: ^w

10 If anyone is destined for captivity,
into captivity he goes.
If anyone is to be killed ^{▼▼Other mss read anyone kills} with a sword,
with a sword he will be killed. ^y

This demands the perseverance ^{▼▼Lit Here is the perseverance} and faith of the saints. ^aa

The Beast from the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, ^{▼▼Or ram
,} ^ac but he sounded like a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. 14 He deceives those who live on the earth ^ad because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, ^ae telling those who live on the earth to make an image ^{▼▼Or statue, or likeness} of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived. 15 He was permitted to give a spirit ^{▼▼Or give breath, or give life} to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he requires everyone – small and great, rich and poor, free and ^{▼▼slave: The strong Greek word doulos cannot be accurately translated in English by "servant" or "bond servant"; the HCSB translates this word as "slave," not out of insensitivity to the legitimate concerns of modern English speakers, but out of a commitment to accurately convey the brutal reality of the Roman empire's inhumane institution as well as the ownership called for by Christ.}slave – to be given a mark ^{▼▼Or stamp, or brand} on his right hand or on his forehead, ^aj 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom: ^{▼▼Or This calls for wisdom
,} ^al The one who has understanding must calculate ^{▼▼Or count, or figure out} the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. ^{▼▼Or is a man’s number, or is the number of a person} His number is 666. ^{▼▼Other Gk mss read 616}