13
The First Beast
1 Then *I ¦ he ECM† NA SBL TH WH {Note: In ECM†, NA, SBL, TH, and WH the words Then he stood on the sand of the sea are found in 12:18.}I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea that had †ten horns and seven heads ¦ seven heads and ten horns TRten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on his horns and ‡blasphemous names 𝔐C,K 73.8% ¦ a blasphemous name 𝔐A ECM TH TR 25.4%blasphemous names on his heads. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard; his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 §One ¦ I saw that one TROne of the beast's heads appeared to be mortally wounded. But his mortal wound had been healed, and *the whole world was amazed and 𝔐C,K 73.8% • NA SBL TH WH 3.5% ¦ it was marveled at in all the earth, and they 𝔐A ST 16.4%the whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon †that ¦ because he Αν CTthat had given ‡his ¦ — TRhis authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against him?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter great boasts and §blasphemy 𝔐A−,C,K 56.6% ¦ blasphemies 𝔐A+ 17.9% • ECM† NA SBL TH TR WH 13.5%blasphemy, and he was *given authority to wage war ¦ permitted to exercise authority Αν CT TRgiven authority to wage war for forty-two months. 6 And he opened his mouth to utter †blasphemy 𝔐A,C,K 85.5% ¦ blasphemies ECM† NA SBL TH WH 10.1%blasphemy against God and to slander his ‡name and his tabernacle, that is, ¦ name, his tabernacle, and Αν TRname and his tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 He was permitted to wage war against the saints and conquer them, and he was given authority over every tribe, §people, ¦ — PCK TRpeople, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, *everyone whose name has ¦ whose names have Αν ECM† TReveryone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
 
10 “If anyone †has captivity as his lot, away ¦ is assigned to captivity, away ECM RPmg TH ¦ leads others into captivity, into captivity TR ¦ leads others away into captivity, into captivity ANT ¦ is assigned to captivity, into captivity NA SBL WHhas captivity as his lot,
away he goes;
if anyone ‡kills with the sword, with the sword he must 𝔐A+,C 39.1% • 𝔐A− 6.2% • ANT 4.7% • TH WH 0.8% ¦ kills with the sword, he must 𝔐K HF RPmg 33.6% ¦ is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he is to NA SBL 0.4% {Note: The word kills is supplied in the translation of RPmg and HF to make it grammatical English. Another possibility is to supply is to be killed instead of kills. However, the rendering kills has much greater support among Byzantine manuscripts.}kills with the sword,
with the sword he must be killed.”
 
This calls for the endurance and the faith of the saints.
The Second Beast
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had §two ¦ — Ktwo horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and made the earth and those who dwell in it worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. 13 He performed great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the presence of the people. 14 By the signs he was permitted to do in the presence of the first beast, he deceived *my own people 𝔐C,K 46.6% ¦ those 𝔐A ANT CT RPmg TR 50.2%my own people who dwell on the earth, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the first beast, who had †the 𝔐A,C 39.8% ¦ a 𝔐K HF RPmg 59%the wound from the sword but still lived. 15 The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause whoever refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 The second beast required everyone, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom: Let anyone who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; his number is six hundred sixty-six.

*13:1 I ¦ he ECM† NA SBL TH WH {Note: In ECM†, NA, SBL, TH, and WH the words Then he stood on the sand of the sea are found in 12:18.}

†13:1 ten horns and seven heads ¦ seven heads and ten horns TR

‡13:1 blasphemous names 𝔐C,K 73.8% ¦ a blasphemous name 𝔐A ECM TH TR 25.4%

§13:3 One ¦ I saw that one TR

*13:3 the whole world was amazed and 𝔐C,K 73.8% • NA SBL TH WH 3.5% ¦ it was marveled at in all the earth, and they 𝔐A ST 16.4%

†13:4 that ¦ because he Αν CT

‡13:4 his ¦ — TR

§13:5 blasphemy 𝔐A−,C,K 56.6% ¦ blasphemies 𝔐A+ 17.9% • ECM† NA SBL TH TR WH 13.5%

*13:5 given authority to wage war ¦ permitted to exercise authority Αν CT TR

†13:6 blasphemy 𝔐A,C,K 85.5% ¦ blasphemies ECM† NA SBL TH WH 10.1%

‡13:6 name and his tabernacle, that is, ¦ name, his tabernacle, and Αν TR

§13:7 people, ¦ — PCK TR

*13:8 everyone whose name has ¦ whose names have Αν ECM† TR

†13:10 has captivity as his lot, away ¦ is assigned to captivity, away ECM RPmg TH ¦ leads others into captivity, into captivity TR ¦ leads others away into captivity, into captivity ANT ¦ is assigned to captivity, into captivity NA SBL WH

‡13:10 kills with the sword, with the sword he must 𝔐A+,C 39.1% • 𝔐A− 6.2% • ANT 4.7% • TH WH 0.8% ¦ kills with the sword, he must 𝔐K HF RPmg 33.6% ¦ is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he is to NA SBL 0.4% {Note: The word kills is supplied in the translation of RPmg and HF to make it grammatical English. Another possibility is to supply is to be killed instead of kills. However, the rendering kills has much greater support among Byzantine manuscripts.}

§13:11 two ¦ — K

*13:14 my own people 𝔐C,K 46.6% ¦ those 𝔐A ANT CT RPmg TR 50.2%

†13:14 the 𝔐A,C 39.8% ¦ a 𝔐K HF RPmg 59%

© 2022 Robert Adam Boyd