⁵The beast was given a mouth to brag and speak evil things against God. The beast was allowed to use his authority for 42 months. ⁶He opened his mouth to speak evil things against God. He told lies about God’s character and about the place where God lives and about those who live in heaven with him. ⁷He was allowed to make war against God’s people and to overcome them. He was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

⁸All who live on earth whose names have not been written in the Book of Life will worship the beast. The Book of Life belongs to the Lamb whose death was planned before the world was created.

⁹Everyone who has ears should listen.

¹⁰Everyone who is supposed to be captured

will be captured.

Everyone who is supposed to be killed with a sword

will be killed with a sword.

So God’s people must be patient and faithful.

The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹Then I saw another beast. This one came out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb. But he spoke like a dragon. ¹²He had all the authority of the first beast. He did what that beast wanted. He made the earth and all who live on it worship the first beast. The first beast was the one whose deadly wound had been healed.

¹³The second beast did great and miraculous signs. He even made fire come from heaven. It came down to earth where everyone could see it. ¹⁴He did the signs the first beast wanted him to do. In that way the second beast tricked those who live on the earth. He ordered them to set up a statue to honor the first beast.

The first beast was the one who had been wounded by the sword and still lived.

¹⁵The second beast was allowed to give breath to the statue so it could speak. He was allowed to kill all who refused to worship the statue. ¹⁶He also forced everyone to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. People great or small, rich or poor, free or slave had to receive the mark. ¹⁷They could not buy or sell anything unless they had the mark. The mark is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

¹⁸Here is a problem that you have to be wise to figure out. If you can, figure out what the beast’s number means. It is man’s number. His number is 666.

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