And I saw a beast coming up out of the ocean. It had ten horns and seven heads, and [it had] ten crowns on his horns and on each head there was a blasphemous name [i.e., a name that slandered God].

And this second beast forced everyone to be branded with a mark on their right hand and on their forehead --- insignificant and important people, rich and poor people, and free people and slaves ---

This calls for wisdom; the person who has understanding should calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. And his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

And everyone who lives on earth will worship the beast, [even those] people whose names had not been recorded in the book of life belonging to the Lamb, who was killed [in prospect] from the creation of the world. [Note: This sentence could also read "...not been recorded from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed"].

Then I saw another [i.e., a second] beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

And one of the beast's heads looked like it had been fatally wounded, but the wound healed and the entire world was amazed and followed after him.

And the beast was given [by the dragon ?] a mouth for making proud claims and [speaking] blasphemous words, and the authority to act for forty-two months [See 11:2; 12:6].

And he was given [the power] to wage war against the saints [i.e., God's holy people] and to conquer them; and he was given authority over every tribe, race, language group and nation.

Now the [second] beast was given [the power] to give breath to the statue of the [first] beast, so that it could both speak and cause all those who refused to worship the statue of the [first] beast to be killed.

And the beast I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like a bear's, and his mouth like a lion's. And the dragon gave him his power, his throne and his great authority.

And they [all] worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast?" and "Who is able to wage war against him?"

so that no one would be able to buy or sell things without having the mark, either the name of the [first] beast or the number of his name.

If anyone goes [or "leads others"] into captivity, he will go into captivity [himself]; if anyone is killed [or "kills others"] with the sword, he will be killed with the sword [himself]. Here is [where] God's holy people [need] perseverance and faith.

And he [i.e., this second beast] performs great [miraculous] signs, including making fire come down from heaven to earth in [full] view of people.

And he exercises all the authority of the first beast [See verse 1] in his presence [or, "on his behalf"]. And he forced the earth and those who lived on it to worship the first beast, whose [apparently] fatal wound had healed.

[And] by being given [power] to perform these signs in the sight of the [first] beast, he deceived the people on earth. He told them to make a statue to [honor] the [first] beast, who had been wounded by a sword and yet lived [through it].

And he opened his mouth to speak slanderous words against God and against His name and His Tabernacle, that is, those living in heaven.

If anyone has an ear, he should listen [to this].