⁵⁵ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(A) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing^(B) before the Passover.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem^(A) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

⁴ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God^(A) from the angel’s hand.

² When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.^(A) The sun and sky were darkened^(B) by the smoke from the Abyss.^(C)

⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast^(A) that comes up from the Abyss^(B) will attack them,^(C) and overpower and kill them.

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon^[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.^(A) It had ten horns and seven heads,^(B) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.^(C)

The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.^(A) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.^(B)

⁸ The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^(A) and go to its destruction.^(B) The inhabitants of the earth^(C) whose names have not been written in the book of life^(D) from the creation of the world will be astonished^(E) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.