1 I stood on the sand by the sea-shore. There I saw a wild animal coming up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns with a crown on each horn. There were names on each head that spoke bad words against God.

Poi vidi salire dal mare una bestia che aveva dieci corna e sette teste, sulle corna dieci diademi e sulle teste nomi blasfemi.

2 T he wild animal I saw was covered with spots. It had feet like those of a bear. It had a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave this wild animal his own power and his own throne as king. The wild animal was given much power.

La bestia che io vidi era simile a un leopardo; i suoi piedi erano come quelli dell’orso e la sua bocca come quella del leone. Il dragone le diede la sua potenza, il suo trono e una grande autorità.

3 O ne of the heads of the wild animal looked as if it had been killed. But the bad cut given to kill him was healed. The whole world was surprised and wondered about this, and they followed after the wild animal.

Una delle sue teste sembrò ferita a morte, ma la sua piaga mortale fu guarita; e tutta la terra, meravigliata, andò dietro alla bestia.

4 T hey worshiped the dragon for giving this wild animal such power. And they worshiped this wild animal. They said, “Who is like this wild animal? Who can fight against it?”

E adorarono il dragone perché aveva dato il potere alla bestia, e adorarono la bestia dicendo: «Chi è simile alla bestia? e chi può combattere contro di lei?»

5 T he animal was given a mouth which spoke words full of pride and it spoke very bad things against the Lord. It was given much power for forty-two months.

E le fu data una bocca che proferiva parole arroganti e bestemmie. E le fu dato potere di agire per quarantadue mesi.

6 A nd it opened its mouth speaking very bad things against God. It spoke against God’s name and His house and against those living in heaven.

Essa aprì la bocca per bestemmiare contro Dio, per bestemmiare il suo nome, il suo tabernacolo e quelli che abitano nel cielo.

7 I t was allowed to fight against the people who belong to God, and it had power to win over them. It had power over every family and every group of people and over people of every language and every nation.

Le fu dato di far guerra ai santi e di vincerli, e le fu dato di avere autorità sopra ogni tribù, popolo, lingua e nazione.

8 E very person on the earth from the beginning of the world whose name has not been written in the book of life of the Lamb Who was killed will worship this animal.

L’adoreranno tutti gli abitanti della terra il cui nome non è scritto fin dalla fondazione del mondo nel libro della vita dell’Agnello che è stato immolato.

9 Y ou have ears! Then listen.

Se uno ha orecchi, ascolti.

10 W hoever is to be tied and held will be held. Whoever kills with a sword must himself be killed with a sword. Now is when God’s people must have faith and not give up. The Second Animal—from the Land

Se uno deve andare in prigionia, andrà in prigionia; se uno dev’essere ucciso con la spada, bisogna che sia ucciso con la spada. Qui sta la costanza e la fede dei santi. La bestia che sale dalla terra

11 T hen I saw another wild animal coming out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb. His voice was like that of the dragon.

Poi vidi un’altra bestia, che saliva dalla terra, e aveva due corna simili a quelle di un agnello, ma parlava come un dragone.

12 H e used the power of the first wild animal who was there with him. He made all the people on earth worship the first wild animal who had received the bad cut to kill him but was healed.

Essa esercitava tutto il potere della prima bestia in sua presenza, e faceva sì che tutti gli abitanti della terra adorassero la prima bestia, la cui piaga mortale era stata guarita.

13 T he second wild animal did great powerful works. It spoke and made those who did not worship the first wild animal to be killed.

E operava grandi prodigi sino a far scendere fuoco dal cielo sulla terra in presenza degli uomini.

14 H e fooled the men of the earth by doing powerful works. He did these things in front of the first wild animal. He told those who live on the earth to make a god that looks like the first wild animal. The first wild animal was the one that was cut by the sword but lived.

E seduceva gli abitanti della terra con i prodigi che le fu concesso di fare in presenza della bestia, dicendo agli abitanti della terra di erigere un’immagine della bestia che aveva ricevuto la ferita della spada ed era tornata in vita.

15 T he second wild animal was given power to give life to the false god. This false god was the one that was made to look like the first wild animal. It was given power to talk. All those who did not worship it would die.

Le fu concesso di dare uno spirito all’immagine della bestia affinché l’immagine potesse parlare e far uccidere tutti quelli che non adorassero l’immagine della bestia.

16 T he second wild animal made every person have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. It was given to important men and to those not important, to rich men and poor men, to those who are free and to those who are servants.

Inoltre obbligò tutti, piccoli e grandi, ricchi e poveri, liberi e schiavi, a farsi mettere un marchio sulla mano destra o sulla fronte.

17 N o one could buy or sell anything unless he had the mark on him. This mark was the name of the first wild animal or another way to write his name.

Nessuno poteva comprare o vendere se non portava il marchio, cioè il nome della bestia o il numero che corrisponde al suo nome.

18 T his is wisdom. Let the person who has good understanding learn the meaning of the other way to write the name of the first wild animal. This name is a man’s name. It is 666.

Qui sta la sapienza. Chi ha intelligenza, calcoli il numero della bestia, perché è un numero d’uomo; e il suo numero è seicentosessantasei.