Revelation 13 (NMV)
1 Then I saw a beast rising out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads were blasphemous names.
2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, with feet like those of a bear, and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority.
3 One of its heads appeared to have been fatally wounded, but the fatal wound was healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
4 They worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?"
5 The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to act for forty-two months.
6 It opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name, His dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was also permitted to wage war against the believers and to conquer them. It was given authority over every tribe, people group, language, and nation.
8 All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slaughtered from the foundation of the world.
9 Let anyone who has ears listen:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive, into captivity he goes; if anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faith from the believers.
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.
12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from the sky to the earth in front of people.
14 It deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs it is permitted to perform on behalf of the first beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
15 It was permitted to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image could speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16 It makes everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. Its number is 666.