Revelation 1

John Tells About This Book

1 This is the revelation 2 who has told everything he has seen. It is the word of God; it is the message from Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of God’s message, and blessed are the people who hear this message and do what is written in it. The time is near when all of this will happen.

Jesus’ Message to the Churches

4 From John.
To the seven churches in Asia:
Grace and peace to you from the One who is and was and is coming, and from the seven spirits before his throne,

5 and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness, the first among those raised from the dead. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth.
He is the One who loves us, who made us free from our sins with the blood of his death.

6 He made us to be a kingdom of priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus Christ be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

7 Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds, and everyone will see him, even those who stabbed him. And all peoples of the earth will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.
8 The Lord God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega. 9 I, John, am your brother. All of us share with Christ in suffering, in the kingdom, and in patience to continue. I was on the island of Patmos, 10 On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet.

11 The voice said, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands13 and someone among the lampstands who was “like a Son of Man.” 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like flames of fire.15 His feet were like bronze that glows hot in a furnace, and his voice was like the noise of flooding water.

16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword came out of his mouth. He looked like the sun shining at its brightest time.
17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the One who lives; I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and to the place of the dead. 19 So write the things you see, what is now and what will happen later. 20 Here is the secret of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven lampstands are the seven churches, and the seven stars are the angels of the 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.