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the dragon stood on the sand of the sea.
Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on his horns, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of his heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but the mortal wound was healed. The whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4 They worshipped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war against him?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling place and those who dwell in heaven. 7 He was permitted to make war on the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him—all whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he shall go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.
Here is the patient endurance and the faith of the saints.
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and he compels the earth and its inhabitants to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men. 14 He deceives those who dwell on the earth by the signs that he was given power to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who dwell on earth to make an image for the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was permitted to give breath 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 He also forces everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18 This calls for wisdom: let anyone who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.