²⁵ He will ^(A)speak words against the ^(B)Most High and ^(C)wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make ^(D)changes in seasons and in law; and ^[a]they will be given into his hand for a ^[b](E)time, ^[c]times, and half a ^[d]time.

³⁶ “Then the king will ^(A)do as he pleases, and he will exalt and ^(B)magnify himself above every god and will ^(C)speak ^[a]astonishing things against the ^(D)God of gods; and he will succeed until the ^(E)indignation is finished, for that which is ^(F)decreed will be done.

^3 (A)Let no one in any way deceive you, for it has not come unless the ^[a](B)apostasy comes first, and the ^(C)man of lawlessness is revealed, the ^(D)son of destruction,

⁵ And there was given to him a mouth ^(A)speaking ^[a]great boasts and blasphemies, and authority to act for ^(B)forty-two months was given to him. ⁶ And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, ^(C)those who ^[b]dwell in heaven.

⁷ And it was also given to him to ^(D)make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over ^(E)every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. ⁸ And all who ^(F)dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone ^(G)whose name has not been ^[c]written ^(H)from the foundation of the world in the ^(I)book of life of ^(J)the Lamb who has been slain. ^9 (K)If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ^10 (L)If anyone ^[d]is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; ^(M)if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is ^(N)the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹ Then ^(O)I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had ^(P)two horns like a lamb and he was speaking as a ^(Q)dragon. ¹² And he ^(R)exercises all the authority of the first beast ^[e](S)in his presence. And he makes ^(T)the earth and those who dwell in it to ^(U)worship the first beast, whose ^(V)fatal wound was healed. ¹³ And he ^(W)does great signs, so that he even makes ^(X)fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. ¹⁴ And he ^(Y)deceives ^(Z)those who dwell on the earth because of ^(AA)the signs which were given to him to do ^[f](AB)in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the ^(AC)wound of the sword and has come to life. ¹⁵ And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even ^[g]speak and cause ^(AD)as many as do not ^(AE)worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ And he causes all, ^(AF)the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, that they ^[h]be given a ^(AG)mark on their right hand or on their forehead, ¹⁷ and that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the ^(AH)mark, either ^(AI)the name of the beast or ^(AJ)the number of his name. ^18 (AK)Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number ^(AL)of man; and his number is ^[i]666.