‘These large beasts, which are four in number, represent four kings who will arise from the earth.

They took all the plunder and all the spoils, both people and animals.

For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me, as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills. ¹ 

He gives food to the animals, and to the young ravens when they chirp. ¹ 

Now ¹  the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf ²  – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. ³ 

“Suppose I were to send wild animals through the land and kill its children, leaving it desolate, without travelers due to the wild animals.

One who beats an animal to death ¹  must make restitution for it, life for life. ² 

who teaches us ¹  more than ²  the wild animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’

The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss ¹  and then go to destruction. The ²  inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that ³  the beast was, and is not, but is to come.

They will all be left ¹  for the birds of the hills and the wild animals; ²  the birds will eat them during the summer, and all the wild animals will eat them during the winter.

This calls for wisdom: ¹  Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, ²  and his number is 666. ³ 

A ¹  third angel ²  followed the first two, ³  declaring ⁴  in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand,

But ¹  the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret ²  for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her.

For the hills bring it food, ¹  where all the wild animals play.

“After these things, as I was watching in the night visions ¹  a fourth beast appeared – one dreadful, terrible, and very strong. ²  It had two large rows ³  of iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and anything that was left it trampled with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before it, and it had ten horns.

“Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching ¹  until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into ²  the flaming fire.

When ¹  they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer ²  them and kill them.

Then ¹  I saw another beast ²  coming up from the earth. He ³  had two horns like a lamb, ⁴  but ⁵  was speaking like a dragon.

Thus no one was allowed to buy ¹  or sell things ²  unless he bore ³  the mark of the beast – that is, his name or his number. ⁴ 

And the smoke from their ¹  torture will go up ²  forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have ³  no rest day or night, along with ⁴  anyone who receives the mark of his name.”