John and the Angel

⁶ The angel said to me,^(A) “These words are trustworthy and true.^(B) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,^(C) sent his angel^(D) to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon!^(E) Blessed^(F) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”^(G)

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.^(H) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet^(I) of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.^(J) Worship God!”^(K)

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up^(L) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,^(M) because the time is near.^{(N) 11} Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”^(O)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(P) My reward is with me,^(Q) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(R) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(S) the First and the Last,^(T) the Beginning and the End.^(U)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes,^(V) that they may have the right to the tree of life^(W) and may go through the gates^(X) into the city.^{(Y) 15} Outside^(Z) are the dogs,^(AA) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus,^(AB) have sent my angel^(AC) to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches.^(AD) I am the Root^(AE) and the Offspring of David,^(AF) and the bright Morning Star.”^(AG)

¹⁷ The Spirit^(AH) and the bride^(AI) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.^(AJ)

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:^(AK) If anyone adds anything to them,^(AL) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.^{(AM) 19} And if anyone takes words away^(AN) from this scroll of prophecy,^(AO) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life^(AP) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things^(AQ) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”^(AR)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.^(AS)

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.^(AT) Amen.

Prologue

1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave^(A) him to show his servants what must soon take place.^(B) He made it known by sending his angel^(C) to his servant John,^{(D) 2} who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God^(E) and the testimony of Jesus Christ.^{(F) 3} Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,^(G) because the time is near.^(H)

Greetings and Doxology

⁴ John,

To the seven churches^(I) in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you^(J) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(K) and from the seven spirits^[a](L) before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,^(M) the firstborn from the dead,^(N) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(O)

To him who loves us^(P) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,^{(Q) 6} and has made us to be a kingdom and priests^(R) to serve his God and Father^(S)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.^(T)

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(X) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(Y) the Almighty.”^(Z)

John’s Vision of Christ

⁹ I, John,^(AA) your brother and companion in the suffering^(AB) and kingdom^(AC) and patient endurance^(AD) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God^(AE) and the testimony of Jesus.^{(AF) 10} On the Lord’s Day^(AG) I was in the Spirit,^(AH) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,^{(AI) 11} which said: “Write on a scroll what you see^(AJ) and send it to the seven churches:^(AK) to Ephesus,^(AL) Smyrna,^(AM) Pergamum,^(AN) Thyatira,^(AO) Sardis,^(AP) Philadelphia^(AQ) and Laodicea.”^(AR)

¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,^{(AS) 13} and among the lampstands^(AT) was someone like a son of man,^[d](AU) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet^(AV) and with a golden sash around his chest.^{(AW) 14} The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.^{(AX) 15} His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,^(AY) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.^{(AZ) 16} In his right hand he held seven stars,^(BA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.^(BB) His face was like the sun^(BC) shining in all its brilliance.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet^(BD) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me^(BE) and said: “Do not be afraid.^(BF) I am the First and the Last.^{(BG) 18} I am the Living One; I was dead,^(BH) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!^(BI) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.^(BJ)

¹⁹ “Write, therefore, what you have seen,^(BK) what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand^(BL) and of the seven golden lampstands^(BM) is this: The seven stars are the angels^[e] of the seven churches,^(BN) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.^(BO)