Revelation 1

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John;2 who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw.3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne;5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;6 and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.9 I John, your brother and partaker with you in tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet11 saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last,18 and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.

Revelation 1

The Prologue

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ,t which God gave him to show his servantst what must happen very soon.t He made it cleart by sending his angel to his servantt John,2 who thent testified to everything that he saw concerning the word of God and the testimony aboutt Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of thist prophecy aloud,t and blessed aret those who hear and obeyt the things written in it, because the time is near!s
4 From John,t to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia:t Grace and peace to yout from “he who is,”s and who was, and who is still to come,t and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,5 and from Jesus Christ – the faithfult witness,s the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has set us freest from our sins at the cost oft his own blood

6 and has appointedt us as a kingdom,t as priestst serving his God and Father – to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever!s Amen.

7 (Look! He is returning with the clouds,s
and every eye will see him,
eventthose who pierced him,s
and all the tribest on the earth will mourn becauset of him.
This will certainly come to pass!t Amen.)s

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”s says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful!t
9 I, John, your brother and the one who sharest with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance thatt are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.t10 I was in the Spiritt on the Lord’s Dayt whent I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

11 saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches – to Ephesus,s Smyrna,t Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 It turned to see whose voice was speaking to me,t and when I did so,t I saw seven golden lampstands,13 and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man.t He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden beltt around his chest.14 Hist head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow,t and his eyes were like a fieryt flame.15 His feet were like polished bronzet refinedt in a furnace, and his voice was like the roart of many waters.16 He heldt seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. Hist face shone like the sun shining at full strength.17 Whent I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, butt he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last,18 and the one who lives! It was dead, but look, now I am alive – forever and ever – and I hold the keys of death and of Hades!ts19 Therefore write what you saw, what is, and what will be after these things.t

20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this:t The seven stars are the angelst of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.