Revelation chapter 13 - A Comparative study of Today's Bible Babble Buffet
God's written message of absolute truth is complete and not contradictory. If I get conflicting messages from the different versions claiming to be the authoritative words of God, then I can know for sure that they can't all be from God. Satan and man are the ones who pervert the Scriptures.
Let's look at just a few verses from one chapter in the Book of Revelation - Revelation 13:1, 8, 10, and 18. I am choosing only one chapter and only 5 examples to illustrate my point.
In Revelation 13:1 the King James Bible says: "And I stood upon the sand of the sea..."
The NIV, NASB 1995 2020 editions, (not the NASBs 1963, 1972, 1973, 1977 - they all say "he" stood on the shore) have "THE DRAGON stood on the shore". Which was it, John or the dragon? By the way, the word "dragon" is not found in any Greek manuscript on this earth.
The ESV 2001 edition has taken part of 13:1 and added it to Revelation chapter 12; so do the NIVs. The Holman Standard ends chapter 12 with a verse marked 12:18 and says: "And HE stood on the sand of the sea."
Other versions that have created an additional numbered verse in Rev. 12:18 are the Catholic Douay version 1950, the Catholic New Jerusalem bible 1985, Catholic Public Domain Version 2009, Dan Wallace's NET version and the Holman Standard.
But you won't find a verse labeled as Revelation 12:18 in the Revised Version 1881, ASV 1901, NASB, NIV or RSV.
Then the NASB and other critical text "bible" versions Footnote "SOME mss. read "I stood". The ESV footnote tells us: "Some manuscripts "And I stood", connecting the sentence with 13:1."
The reading of HE stood is that of Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus and C. There is no book of the Revelation in the Vatican manuscript.
The Catholic Connection
The Catholic versions can't seem to get their act together either. The previous Douay Rheims 1582 and the St. Joseph NAB 1970 both say "And HE stood", but then the 1985 New Jerusalem bible went with "And "I" took my stand on the seashore."
The Jehovah Witness New World Translation is a bit weird in that it follows the Critical Greek text, but reads: "And IT stood still upon the sand of the sea." But this "it" is refers back to the dragon as found in 12:17.
God is not the author of confusion. Can you guess who is? It's the very one who asked the first question recorded in the Bible way back in Genesis 3 - "Yea, hath God said....?"
SOME manuscripts read "And I stood" ?!?
Oh, really? How about the Majority of all known Greek manuscripts, the ancient Coptic Boharic and Sahidic versions that date from the 3rd century, the ancient Syriac Peshitta and the Modern Greek -"Και εσταθην επι την αμμον της θαλασσης·" and the Greek text used by the Greek Orthodox churches all over the world today.
"I STOOD" is the reading of the Greek texts of Erasmus, Stephanus 1550, Beza 1598, the Elzevir 1624, Scrivener 1894, The Modern Greek Bible and the Hodges and Farstad Majority Greek Text 1982.
The reading of "And I stood upon the sand of the sea" is found in Tyndale 1525 -"And I stode on the see sonde.", Coverdale 1535, Matthew's Bible 1549 - "And I stode on the sea sande." the Bishops' Bible 1568 - "And I stoode on the sea sande.", the Geneva Bible 1587, The Beza New Testament 1599, Worsely Version 1770, Sawyer N.T. 1858, Noyes Translation 1869, Lamsa's translation of the Syriac Peshitta 1933, Wesley's translation 1755, The Pickering N.T. 1840, the American Bible Union N.T. 1865, The Smith Bible 1876, Darby 1890, Youngs 1898, Godbey N.T. 1902, Goodspeed N.T. 1923 - "Then I stood on the sand of the seashore", the Analytical Literal Translation, the Emphatic Diaglott N.T., the Moffatt Translation 1913, Riverside N.T. 1923, Williams N.T. 1972, New Life Version 1969, Third Millennium Bible 1998, the English Jubilee Bible 2000, the NKJV 1982, New Jerusalem bible 1985, The Interlinear Greek N.T. 1997 (Larry Pierce), The Koster Scriptures 1998, The Tomson N.T. 2002, the Complete Apostle's Bible 2003, the Updated Bible of 2004, Green's 2005, The Pickering N.T. 2005, The Faithful N.T. 2009, The Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010, The New European Version 2010, The Far Above All Translation 2011, the World English Bible 2012, The English Majority Text N.T. 2013, The Modern Literal New Testament 2014, and The Modern English Version 2014.
Foreign Language Bibles = KJB
Foreign language Bibles that read "And I stood" are the French Martin 1744 and French Ostervald 1996 - "Et je me tins debout sur le sable de la mer", Martin Luther's German Bible of 1545 and the German Schlachter bible of 2000 - "Und ich trat an den Sand des Meeres." the Italian Diodati 1649 and the New Diodati 1991 - "Ed io mi fermai in su la rena del mare.", the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras of 1569, the Reina Valera of 1602, 1909, 1995 and the 2010 RV Gómez Bible - "Y yo me paré sobre la arena del mar", the Portuguese A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués and the Almeida Corrigida E Fiel - "E EU pus-me sobre a areia do mar."
So, once again, you have a choice between the Reformation Bible text in all languages, or the Vatican supervised Critical Text versions like the ESV, NIV, NASB, NET, "some" modern Catholic and Jehovah Witness NWT versions.
Revelation 13:1 - "...and upon his heads the NAME of blasphemy." Notice the singular noun "the NAME of blasphemy" found in the Majority of all Greek texts and in Sinaiticus, P47, the NIV, NKJV, Tyndale, Bishops' bible, the Geneva, Youngs, the RSV, NET, the Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010 and the King James Bible.
But the NASB, ESV and Holman follow manuscript Alexandrinus and have the plural "NAMES of blasphemy", and so too do the Catholic versions of the Douay, St. Joseph, New Jerusalem and the Catholic Public Domain Version.
Revelation 13:8 reads "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the beast) whose names are not written in the book of life of THE LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."
So read the King James Bible, Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525 - "whose names are not written in the boke of lyfe of the lambe which was kylled from the begynnynge of the worlde.", Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible (Cranmer) 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549 - "the boke of lyfe of þe lambe, which was killed from the beginning of the worlde.", the Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587 - "in the booke of life of that Lambe, which was slaine from the beginning of the world.", Beza's N.T. 1599, the Douay-Rheims 1582, and Douay of 1950, Whiston's N.T. 1745, John Wesley's translation 1755, Webster's Bible 1833, the Living Oracles 1835, Murdock Translation of the Syraic 1852, Sawyer N.T. 1858 - "in the Lamb's book of life who was killed from the foundation of the world.", Noyes Translation 1869, the Revised Version of 1881 - "the Lamb that hath been slain from the foundation of the world.", Rotherhams's Emphasized bible 1902, Godbey N.T. 1902, Worrell Translation 1904, the Twentieth Century N.T. 1904, Weymouth N.T. 1912 - "the Book of the Lamb who has been offered in sacrifice ever since the creation of the world.", The N.T. Translation from the Sinaitic Manuscript 1918 by Henry Anderson- "in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world.", Lamsa's translation of the Syriac Peshitta, Youngs 1898, J.B. Phillips N.T. 1962, the 1969 Berkeley Modern Version, the NKJV 1982, the Amplified Bible 1987, God's Word Translation 1995, Green's literal 2000, the International Standard Version 2012, the 2011 Orthodox Jewish Bible, the Aramaic Bible in Plain English 2012 - "those who are not written in The Book of Life of The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.", and surprisingly so too the NIV 1984 and 2011 - "all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world."
Other Bibles that correctly have "the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world" are The Concordant Version 2006, The Interlinear Greek N.T. 1997 (Larry Pierce), The Complete Jewish Bible 1998 - "the Lamb slaughtered before the world was founded.", the Lawrie Translation 1998, The Koster Scriptures 1998, The Last Days Bible 1999 - ?the Lamb who was slain in the mind and plan of God even before the earth was formed.?, the Tomson N.T. 2002, Green's Literal 2005, The Resurrection Life N.T. 2005, The Pickering N.T. 2005, The Faithful N.T. 2009, The Christogenea N.T. 2009, The Conservative Bible 2010, The New European Version 2010, The Online Interlinear 2010 (André de Mol), the Mounce Interlinear N.T. 2011 - "the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world", The Names of God Bible 2011, The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible 2011, The Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2011, The Biblos Interlinear Bible 2011, The Far Above All Translation 2011, The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust), The English Majority Text N.T. 2013, the Modern English Version 2014, The Pioneers' N.T. 2014.
Foreign Language Bibles = KJB
Foreign language Bibles that also tell us that the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world are the French Martin 1744 - " De sorte qu'elle sera adorée par tous ceux qui habitent sur la terre, desquels les noms ne sont point écrits au Livre de vie de l'Agneau, immolé dès la fondation du monde.", Luther's German Bible 1545 and the 2000 German Schlachter Bible -"Und alle, die auf Erden wohnen, beten es an, deren Namen nicht geschrieben sind in dem lebendigen Buch des Lammes, das erwürget ist von Anfang der Welt.", the Portuguese Almeida Bible and A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués - "E adora-la-ão todos os que habitam sobre a terra, esses cujos nomes não estão escritos no livro do Cordeiro que foi morto desde a fundação do mundo.", the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569, the Reina Valera 1858, 1909, 1960 and the 2010 Goméz Bible, and the Reina Valera Contemporánea of 2012 - "Y la adoraron todos los moradores de la tierra cuyos nombres no estaban escritos en el libro de la vida del Cordero que fue inmolado desde el principio del mundo.", the Russian Synodal Version, the Italian New Diodati 1991 - "i cui nomi non sono scritti nel libro della vita dell'Agnello, che è stato ucciso fin dalla fondazione del mondo.", the Dutch Staten Vertaling Bible - "des Lams, Dat geslacht is, van de grondlegging der wereld.
Also reading "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." are the Modern Greek Version - "Και θελουσι προσκυνησει αυτο παντες οι κατοικουντες επι της γης, των οποιων τα ονοματα δεν εγραφησαν εν τω βιβλιω της ζωης του Αρνιου του εσφαγμενου απο καταβολης κοσμου."
and the Modern Hebrew Bible - "וישתחוו לה כל ישבי הארץ אשר לא נכתבו שמותם בספר החיים אשר לשה הטבוח מיום הוסד תבל׃"
But the ASV, NASB, RSV, ESV, NET, The Voice, Common English Bible and Holman Standard all read "WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD in the book of THE LAMB WHO HAS BEEN SLAIN."
The text reads - Revelation 13:8 -καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὧν οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου τοῦ ἐσφαγμένου ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.
In order for versions like the ESV, NASB, NET, Holman and the modern Catholic versions to come up with this totally changed meaning for the verse, they have to take the last 3 words of the whole sentence -ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.- and remove them from the literal "the Lamb that was slain FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD" and they have to jump back ELEVEN Greek words in the sentence and insert them there in order to do this!
In the KJB and so many others it is the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. Whereas in versions like the NASB, ESV and NET it is the names that were written in the book before the foundation of the world, and not the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world. Big difference in meaning.
The Catholic Connection
The Catholic versions present us with their typical confusion. The older Douay-Rheims of 1582 and the Douay of 1950 read like the KJB with "the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world."
BUT the more modern Catholic versions like the St. Joseph NAB 1970, the 1985 New Jerusalem and the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version tell us that it was the names that were written from the foundation of the world in this verse, and not the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world.
The truth that the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world is nowhere else taught in Scripture, though a similar thought is found in 1 Peter 1:18-20 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: WHO VERILY WAS FOREORDAINTED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, but was manifest in these last times for you."
John Gill comments on Revelation 13:8 saying: "he may be said to be "slain from the foundation of the world"; in the decree and purpose of God, by which he was set forth, or foreappointed to be the propitiation for sin, and was foreordained, before the foundation of the world, to redeem his people by his blood, and in the promise of God immediately after the fall of man, that the seed of the woman should have his heel bruised, and he himself should bruise the serpent's head, which made it as sure as if it was then done; and in the sacrifices, which were immediately upon this offered up, and were types of the death and sacrifice of Christ."
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's commentary says: "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world--The Greek order of words favors this translation. He was slain in the Father's eternal counsels: compare 1 Peter 1:19,20, virtually parallel."
The Pulpit Commentary - "It is natural to connect the words, "from the foundation of the world," with "slain," and not with "written."..."The Lamb hath been slain from the foundation of the world," because from "the foundation of the world" (cf. Hebrews 9:26) his death has been efficacious for the salvation of men; and because his death "was foreordained before the foundation of the world," although manifest only in the last times (1 Peter 1:20). What was foreknown to and ordained by God is spoken of as having taken place."
David Guzik's Commentary on the whole Bible Revelation 13:8
"The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world: This deeply meaningful title for Jesus reminds us that God's plan of redemption was set in place before He even created the beings who would be redeemed. God wasn't "surprised" by the fall of Adam or any other evidence of the fallen nature of man. God isn't making it up as He goes along. It is all going according to plan.
God the Son had a relationship of love and fellowship with God the Father before the foundation of the world (John 17:24)
The work of Jesus was ordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20)
God chose His redeemed before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)
Names are written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8)
The kingdom of heaven was prepared for the redeemed before the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34)"
Barnes' Notes - "Slain from the foundation of the world - The meaning here is, not that he was actually put to death "from the foundation of the world," but that the intention to give him for a sacrifice was formed then, and that it was so certain that it might be spoken of as actually then occurring. See Romans 4:17."
Revelation 13:8 is not a textual variant but the NASB, RSV, ESV, Holman, NET and the modern Catholic versions have reversed the order of words in "the message". Which is it in this verse, the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world, or the names written from the foundation of the world? The Greek text reads literally just as the King James Bible and so many others have it.
The book of Revelation DOES teach that some names were NOT written in the book of life from that foundation of the world, but that is in Revelation 17:8; not here. This verse in Revelation 13:8 is clearly telling us that it was the Lamb that was slain from the foundations of the world.
The King James Bible is right, as always.
Revelation 13:10 "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: HE THAT KILLETH WITH THE SWORD must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."
The phrase "HE THAT KILLETH WITH THE SWORD" is found in the NASB, RSV, NRSV, NKJV, KJB as well as all previous English Bibles including Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525, -"he that kylleth with a swearde must be kylled with a swearde.", Coverdale 1535, the Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible, 1599, Mace's N.T. 1729, Wesley's translation 1755, the Revised Version 1881, the ASV 1901, Darby 1890, Youngs 1898, Rotherham's Empasized bible 1902, Lamsa's translation of the Syriac Peshitta, Weymouth, The Interlinear Greek N.T. 1997 (Larry Pierce), The Faithful N.T. 2009, the Hebrew Names Version 2014, the Third Milllennium Bible 1998, The Pickering N.T. 2005, The New European Version 2010, the Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010, The Modern Literal New Testament 2014, and The Modern English Version 2014.
This time the NASB forsakes the Alexandrinus mss. which it just got done following in verse 13:1 ('names' instead of 'name'), and goes back to the reading found in the King James Bible and even in Sinaitius and Codex C.
The so called "science" of textual criticism is a joke; it's all smoke and mirrors and witches brew with a little throwing of the dice tossed in for good measure. The reading of "HE THAT KILLETH with the sword" = "εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποκτενεῖ" is the Traditional Greek text reading found in the Byzantine manuscripts. Even Westcott and Hort as well as Tischendorf stayed with this reading. It is even the reading found in Sinaiticus, one of their so called oldest and best. The Nestle-Aland 4th edition of 1934 as well as the 21st edition of 1975 also had this reading.
But sometime after 1975 the Nestle-Aland critical Greek text was changed with NO new textual evidence being discovered. It appears they just felt like changing their minds so that you can get "the late$t in $cholar$hip". And now the latest Nestle-Aland critical text follows basically one Greek manuscript called Alexandrinus which makes it a passive verb and changes the subject of the sentence. The newer Nestle Aland text now reads: "εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι" = If any by a sword IS TO BE KILLED..." The difference between these two verbs can easily be seen even if you don't know how to read Greek. ἀποκτενεῖ = 'He that kills' versus ἀποκτανθῆναι = 'He that is to be killed'
The NIVs, ESVs, Dan Wallace's NET version, the Holman Standard and the more modern Catholic versions like the St. Joseph NAB 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible 1985 now follow the Alexandrinus mss. reading with "IF ANYONE IS TO BE KILLED with the sword, with the sword he will be killed." This changes the subject of the sentence from He who kills another, to He who is killed BY another. Notice that the RSV and NRSV both followed the King James reading, but now the new ESV (a revision of the revision of the revision) has now "scientifically" decided to go along with the NIV and modern Catholic versions to follow a different textual reading. This is how the "scholars' game" is played.
Foreign language Bibles that follow the same texts as the Reformation bibles and say "He that killeth with the sword" are Luther's German Bible 1545 - "so jemand mit dem Schwert tötet, der muß mit dem Schwert getötet werden.", the French Martin 1744 and French Ostervald 1996 - "; si quelqu'un tue avec l'épée, il faut qu'il soit tué lui-même par l'épée", the Italian Diodati 1649 - "se alcuno uccide con la spada, bisogna che sia ucciso con la spada.", the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569, the Reina Valera 1909, 1960, 1995, the Reina Valera Gómez Bible of 2010 - "el que a cuchillo matare, es necesario que a cuchillo sea muerto.", the Portuguese Almeida and A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués - "se alguém matar à espada, necessário é que à espada seja morto." The Modern Greek New Testament, which is quite different from the older form of N.T. Greek, also reads "He who kills with the sword" = Οστις φονευση με μαχαιραν, πρεπει αυτος να φονευθη με μαχαιραν.
Revelation 13:16 with Revelation 20:4 - "IN" or "ON"?
Revelation 13:16 KJB - "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark IN their right hand or IN their foreheads".
Revelation 20:4 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them: and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark UPON their foreheads, or IN their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
A Bible critic who has NO complete and infallible Bible to believe in or to give to anyone else posted at one of the forums this ignorant rant, saying: "Why Is The KJV Confused As To Whether The Mark Is ON Or IN The Right Hand And Forehead, When The Greek Word For Both Verses In All Cases Is 'Epi'-On. I'd Like To Know Whether It's A Tatoo Or A Microchip. Modern Translations And Even The New King James Version Get It Right. Revelation 13:16 "He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark ON their right hand or ON their foreheads".
If this Bible Rummager (he pieces together his "bible" from multiple sources according to his own personal preferences as he goes) had bothered to actually do some research into the matter instead of being blinded by his hatred towards God's infallible Book, he might have learned something.
Anybody can look up the meaning of the word epi (επι) in any Greek Lexicon like Liddell and Scott, or Thayer's, Kittle's or Bauer, Arndt & Gingrich and they all tell us that the word has multiple meanings including IN, ON, upon, by, to, at, into, for, against, toward, before and throughout.
The NIV complete concordance informs us that they translated the word "epi" as "on" 260 times and as "in" 73 times. They also translated is as "at, over, against, for, before, upon, by, with, about, because of, around, from, above, together, after, among, during, into, during, across, along, beside, between, in front of, near, and resting on."
Not only does the KJB say in Revelation 13:16 that the mark is "IN their right hand, or IN their foreheads." but so also do Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525 - "to receave a marke IN their right hondes or IN their forheddes.", Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540 - "a marke IN theyr ryght handes or IN theyr forheddes.", Matthew's Bible 1549, the Bishops' Bible 1568 - "a marke IN their right hand, or IN their foreheads.", the Geneva Bible - "to receiue a marke IN their right hand or IN their foreheads", Whiston's N.T. 1745, Webster's Translation 1833, the KJV 21st Century Version 1994, the Third Millennium Bible 1998 and the English Jubilee Bible 2010 - "to receive a mark IN their right hand, or IN their foreheads".
It apparently never occurred to this Bible critic that IF this is a microchip of some kind that enables people to both buy and sell, that it would be BOTH buried under the skin, and thus IN the forehead or hand, AND there would be some mark ON the skin to indicate where it was located?
The Greek word translated as "mark" is karagma. And according the Liddell & Scott's Greek-English Lexicon the word was used to describe "the mark of the serpent, i.e. its sting or bite". The serpent's bite went under the skin and left a mark on the surface as well.
Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich's Lexicon defines it as "a mark or stamp engraved, etched, branded, cut or imprinted." Even if it were some kind of a tattoo, the needle goes under the skin and the ink remains both under and on the skin.
The KJB is consistent in its teaching. In both Revelation 7:3 and in 9:4 we read "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God IN their foreheads." and "hurt...only those men which have not the seal of God IN their foreheads."
Many modern versions have changed these verses to read "ON their foreheads", but also reading "IN their foreheads" are Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549, the Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, Mace's N.T. 1729, Whiston's N.T. 1745, Thomas Haweis N.T. 1795, Webster's 1833, the KJV 21st Century Version, Third Millennium Bible 1998 and the English Jubilee Bible 2010.
Revelation 13:17 KJB - "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, OR the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
ESV (NASB, NIV, NET) - "so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, THAT IS, the name of the beast or the number of its name."
NASB - "except the one who has the mark, EITHER the name of the beast or the number of his name."
First of all, there is NO Greek text that contains the words "that is". They just put that in as filler and it changes the meaning of the verse.
The way these Vatican versions read they equate the mark with the name, which may not be the case at all.
There are several textual variants in this verse. Sinaiticus, which nobody follows, reverses things and instead of reading "has the mark or the name of the beast" reads: "has the mark of the beast or his name"
The reading found in the KJB and other Reformation Bibles is found in P47, which dates to the 3rd century and is the oldest known remaining manuscript we have of this portion of Revelation. It is older than Sinaiticus. Vaticanus completely omits the book of Revelation.
It is the Textus Receptus that includes that little word OR (η ) before the words "had the mark OR the name of the beast or the number of his name" -και ινα μη τις δυνηται αγορασαι η πωλησαι ει μη ο εχων το χαραγμα η το ονομα του θηριου η τον αριθμον του ονοματος αυτου
This is the reading found in Stephanus 1550, Beza 1598, Elzevir 1625, Scrivener 1894, and The Modern Greek Version -
και να μη δυναται μηδεις να αγοραση η να πωληση, ειμη ο εχων το χαραγμα, η το ονομα του θηριου η τον αριθμον του ονοματος αυτου.
https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/greek-modern/revelation/13/
"save he that had the mark, OR the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
So read the KJB, Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, The Great Bible 1540, Matthew?s bible 1549, the Bishops' bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Beza N.T. 1599, Mace N.T. 1729, Worsley N.T. 1770, Haweis N.T. 1795, The Revied English Bible 1877, Young?s 1989, NKJV 1982, Green?s Literal 1992, The Koster Scriptures 1998, the Laurie N.T. 1998, the Tomson N.T. 2002, The Resurrection Life N.T. 2005, The Mebust Bible 2007, the Jubilee Bible 2010, The Hebrew Transliteration Bible 2010, The Work of God's Children Bible 2011, Modern English Version 2014, and The New Matthew Bible 2016.
Foreign Language Bibles.
Just a few of the Foreign Language Bibles that read like the KJB are the French Martin bible 1744 - "s'il n'avait la marque ou le nom de la bête, ou le nombre de son nom.", the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1549, Cipriano de Valera 1602 and the Reina Valera 1960-1995 - "sino el que tiene la señal, o el nombre de la bestia, o el número de su nombre.", the Italian Diodati 1649 and La Nuova Diodati 1991 - "se non chi avesse il marchio, o il nome della bestia, o il numero del suo nome.", and the Portuguese Almeida 2009 - "senão aquele que tiver o sinal, ou o nome da besta, ou o número do seu nome."
Once again it comes down to the difference between the Reformation bibles in all languages versus the Vatican supervised text versions.
Revelation 13:18 says regarding the number 666 "Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number OF A MAN; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." - that is, it is a number of a specific man, the antichrist. This is the reading of the KJB, NASB, RV, ASV, Holman Standard and all previous English Bibles like Tyndale, Coverdale and the Geneva Bible etc.
But the NIVs 1973, 1978 and 1984 editions tell us "it is MAN'S number" - that is, men in general. The NIV gender inclusive version which came out in England says "it is humanity's number". But wait! Now the "new" New International Version of 2011 has come out, and it once again changes the meaning and goes back to the King James reading - "it is the number of a man".
Of the examples in this chapter alone, none of the multiple-choice modern Bible Babble Buffet versions agrees all the way through with any of the others.
For those who exalt the Sinaiticus Greek manuscript, one of the so called "oldest and best", which together with Vaticanus, is the textual basis for most modern versions, you may be surprised to learn of some of its readings in the book of Revelation.
In Revelation 10:1 instead of seeing an angel with "A RAINBOW" upon his head, Sinaiticus says "HAIR" was on his head. In 7:4 instead of a great multitude of the redeemed whose number was 144,000 Sinaiticus has 140,000 and in 14:3 instead of 144,000 it has 141,000. Instead of "THE FORMER THINGS are passed away" in 21:4, Sinaiticus has "THE SHEEP are passed away" and in 21:5 instead of "I make all things NEW" Sinaticus has "I make all things EMPTY."
These are just a few examples found in the "oldest and best manuscripts" followed by the modern versions. The science of textual criticism seems about as scientific as throwing darts at a dartboard.
The NASB repeatedly goes back and forth between Vaticanus and Sinaiticus (someimes in the same verse), hundreds of times. Their philosophy seems to be, if it differs from the King James Bible, let's put it in or take it out.
Not all of these multiple-choice, conflicting bible versions can be from God. He is not the author of confusion. As we get nearer to the Second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory and power, when many will depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1), the falling away will occur (2 Thessalonians 2:3), evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13), do you suppose that is the time when the best bibles will be popular? I trow not.
"When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8
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