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Apocalyptic · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Revelation 13

Visions unveil the Lamb's victory, faithful witness, judgment, and renewed creation.

New Testament

Revelation 13

1Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names.

2The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

3One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.

4They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him.

6He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven.

7It was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.

8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed.

9If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

10If anyone is to go into captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.

11I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

12He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

13He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.

14He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.

15It was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed.

16He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands or on their foreheads;

17and that no one would be able to buy or to sell unless he has that mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

18Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Visions unveil the Lamb's victory, faithful witness, judgment, and renewed creation. Read Revelation 13 within the complete Revelation overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Revelation 13

Revelation 13 contains 18 verses and about 516 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads…” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 18 closes: “Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include beast, like, earth, given, authority, dwell. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Revelation 13

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Revelation 13:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer