Revelation 13:14–17

13:14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told42 those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. 13:15 The second beast43 was empowered44 to give life45 to the image of the first beast46 so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 13:16 He also caused47 everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave48) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 13:17 Thus no one was allowed to buy49 or sell things50 unless he bore51 the mark of the beast—that is, his name or his number.52

42	tn Grk “earth, telling.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek. sn He told followed by an infinitive (“to make an image …”) is sufficiently ambiguous in Greek that it could be taken as “he ordered” (so NIV) or “he persuaded” (so REB).
43	tn Grk “it”; the referent (the second beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
44	tn Grk “it was given [permitted] to it [the second beast].”
45	tn Grk “breath,” but in context the point is that the image of the first beast is made to come to life and speak.
46	tn Grk “of the beast”; the word “first” has been supplied to specify the referent.
47	tn Or “forced”; Grk “makes” (ποιεῖ, poiei).
48	tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
49	tn Grk “and that no one be able to buy or sell.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Although the ἵνα (hina) is left untranslated, the English conjunction “thus” is used to indicate that this is a result clause.
50	tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context. In the context of buying and selling, food could be primarily in view, but the more general “things” was used in the translation because the context is not specific.
51	tn Grk “except the one who had.”
52	tn Grk “his name or the number of his name.”