3. One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been wounded and killed, but the death wound was healed. All the people in the world were amazed, and they all followed the beast.
4. People worshiped the dragon because it had given its power to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast. They asked, “Who is as powerful as the beast? Who can make war against it?”
5. The beast was allowed to boast and speak insults against God. It was allowed to use its power for 42 months.
6. The beast opened its mouth to insult God—to insult his name, the place where he lives, and all those who live in heaven.
7. It was given power to make war against God’s holy people and to defeat them. It was given power over every tribe, race of people, language, and nation.
8. Everyone living on earth would worship the beast. These are all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the one who was killed.
9. Anyone who hears these things should listen to this:
10. Whoever is to be a prisoner, will be a prisoner. Whoever is to be killed with a sword, will be killed with a sword. This means that God’s holy people must have patience and faith.
11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he talked like a dragon.
12. This beast stood before the first beast and used the same power the first beast had. He used this power to make everyone living on the earth worship the first beast. The first beast was the one that had the death wound that was healed.