The Beast Who Comes Out of the Sea
1The dragon stood on the seashore. I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. There were ten crowns on its horns. On each head was an evil name that brought shame to God. 2The beast I saw looked like a leopard. But it had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. 3One of the beast’s heads seemed to have had a deadly wound. But the wound had been healed. The whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4People worshiped the dragon, because he had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast. They asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against it?”
5The beast was given a mouth to brag and speak evil things against God. The beast was allowed to use its authority for 42 months. 6The beast opened its mouth to speak evil things against God. It told lies about God and about the place where God lives. And it told lies about those who live in heaven with him. 7The beast was allowed to make war against God’s holy people and to overcome them. It was given authority over every tribe, people and nation, no matter what language they spoke. 8Many people who live on the earth will worship the beast. They are the ones whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the one whose death was planned before the world was created.
9Whoever has ears should listen.
10“Everyone who is supposed to be captured
will be captured.
Everyone who is supposed to be killed by a sword
will be killed by a sword.” (Jeremiah 15:2)
So God’s people must be patient and faithful.
The Beast Who Comes Out of the Earth
11Then I saw a second beast. This one came out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb. But it spoke like a dragon. 12This beast had all the authority of the first beast. It did what the first beast wanted. It 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 performed great signs. It even made fire come from heaven to the earth. And the fire was seen by everyone. 14The first beast had given the second beast the power to perform these signs. By these signs, the second beast tricked those who live on the earth. The second beast ordered people to set up a statue to honor the first beast. The first beast was the one who had been wounded by a sword and still lived. 15The second beast was allowed to give breath to this statue so it could speak. The statue could kill all who refused to worship it. 16It also forced everyone to receive a mark on their right hand or on their 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 its name.
18This problem requires wisdom. Anyone who is wise should figure out what the beast’s number means. It is the number of a man. And that number is 666.
两只怪兽
1我又看见一只怪兽从海中上来，有七头十角，每只角上都戴着一个冠冕，每个头上都写着亵渎上帝的名号。 2它看起来像豹，却有熊的脚和狮子的口。巨龙将自己的能力、王位和大权柄都交给了怪兽。 3我看见怪兽的一个头似乎受了致命伤，这伤却复原了。全世界的人都惊奇地跟从了它。 4他们拜巨龙，因为巨龙将自己的权力给了怪兽。他们又拜怪兽，说：“有谁比得上这兽呢？谁能与它对抗呢？” 5巨龙又使怪兽说狂妄、亵渎的话，并给它权柄，可以任意妄为四十二个月。 6怪兽开口亵渎上帝的名、上帝的居所和一切居住在天上的。 7它又获准去攻打圣徒，征服他们，并得到权柄制服各民族、各部落、各语言族群、各国家。 8凡住在地上的人，就是从创世以来名字没有记在被杀羔羊的生命册上的，都会崇拜怪兽。
9凡有耳朵的都应当听。
10该被掳的人必被掳，
该被刀杀的必被刀杀。
因此，圣徒需要坚忍和信心。
11我又看见另一只怪兽从地里窜出来，它的两只角像羔羊的角，说话却像龙， 12在头一只怪兽面前行使头一只怪兽的一切权柄。它命令世上的人拜曾受了致命伤但已复原的头一只怪兽， 13又行大奇迹，当众叫火从天降到地上。 14它在头一只怪兽面前获准行奇迹，欺骗了普世的人，并吩咐他们为受了刀伤却仍然活着的头一只怪兽塑像。 15它又获准给怪兽的塑像生命气息，使它不但能说话，还能使所有不敬拜那像的人遭害。 16它又强迫所有的人，不论老少、尊卑、贫富、自由人或奴隶，都在右手或额上接受印记。 17凡没有盖上怪兽印记的，就是没有怪兽的名字或代号的，都不能做买卖。 18这里藏有玄机，聪明的人可以计算那怪兽的代号，因为那是一个人的代号，是“六百六十六”。
