5 A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies. i He was also given authority to act j k for 42 months. l 6 He began to speak m 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 * saints and to conquer them. n He was also given authority o over every tribe, people, language, and nation. p 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 q of life r of the Lamb who was slaughtered. s t

9 If anyone has an ear, he should listen: u

10 If anyone is destined for captivity,

into captivity he goes.

If anyone is to be killed v with a sword,

with a sword he will be killed. w

This demands the perseverance x and faith of the saints. y

The Beast from the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, z a 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, b even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. c 14 He deceives those who live on the earth d because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, e telling those who live on the earth to make an image f of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived. 15 He was permitted to give a spirit g 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. h