Revelation 1-5

English Standard Version

Prologue

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God ^(A)gave him ^(B)to show to his servants^[a] the things that must soon take place. ^(C)He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ²^(D)who bore witness to the word of God and to ^(E)the testimony of Jesus Christ, even ^(F)to all that he saw. ³^(G)Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, ^(H)for the time is near.

Greeting to the Seven Churches

⁴John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

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

To ^(P)him who loves us and ^(Q)has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶and made us ^(R)a kingdom, ^(S)priests to ^(T)his God and Father, to him be ^(U)glory and ^(V)dominion forever and ever. Amen. ⁷Behold, ^(W)he is coming with the clouds, and ^(X)every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail^[b] on account of him. Even so. Amen.

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

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹I, John, your brother and ^(AA)partner in ^(AB)the tribulation and ^(AC)the kingdom and ^(AD)the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(AE)on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰^(AF)I was in the Spirit ^(AG)on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(AH)like a trumpet ¹¹saying, ^(AI)“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

¹²Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw ^(AJ)seven golden lampstands, ¹³and in the midst of the lampstands ^(AK)one like ^(AL)a son of man, ^(AM)clothed with a long robe and ^(AN)with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴^(AO)The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. ^(AP)His eyes were like a flame of fire, ¹⁵^(AQ)his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and ^(AR)his voice was like the roar of many waters. ¹⁶^(AS)In his right hand he held seven stars, ^(AT)from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and ^(AU)his face was like the sun shining ^(AV)in full strength.

¹⁷^(AW)When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But ^(AX)he laid his right hand on me, ^(AY)saying, “Fear not, ^(AZ)I am the first and the last, ¹⁸and the living one. ^(BA)I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and ^(BB)I have the keys of Death and Hades. ¹⁹^(BC)Write therefore ^(BD)the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. ²⁰As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and ^(BE)the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and ^(BF)the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To the Church in Ephesus

2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of ^(BG)him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, ^(BH)who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

²^(BI)“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but ^(BJ)have tested those ^(BK)who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. ³I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up ^(BL)for my name's sake, and you ^(BM)have not grown weary. ⁴But I have this against you, that you have abandoned ^(BN)the love you had at first. ⁵Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do ^(BO)the works you did at first. If not, ^(BP)I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶Yet this you have: you hate the works of ^(BQ)the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷^(BR)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(BS)To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of ^(BT)the tree of life, which is in ^(BU)the paradise of God.’

To the Church in Smyrna

⁸“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of ^(BV)the first and the last, ^(BW)who died and came to life.

⁹“‘I know your tribulation and ^(BX)your poverty (^(BY)but you are rich) and the slander^[c] of ^(BZ)those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, ^(CA)that you may be tested, and for ^(CB)ten days ^(CC)you will have tribulation. ^(CD)Be faithful ^(CE)unto death, and I will give you ^(CF)the crown of life. ¹¹^(CG)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(CH)The one who conquers will not be hurt by ^(CI)the second death.’

To the Church in Pergamum

¹²“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has ^(CJ)the sharp two-edged sword.

¹³“‘I know where you dwell, ^(CK)where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not ^(CL)deny my faith^[d] even in the days of Antipas ^(CM)my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of ^(CN)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might ^(CO)eat food sacrificed to idols and ^(CP)practice sexual immorality. ¹⁵So also you have some who hold the teaching of ^(CQ)the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶Therefore repent. If not, ^(CR)I will come to you soon and ^(CS)war against them with ^(CT)the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷^(CU)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(CV)To the one who conquers I will give some of ^(CW)the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with ^(CX)a new name written on the stone ^(CY)that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

To the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, ^(CZ)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

¹⁹^(DA)“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. ²⁰But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman ^(DB)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants ^(DC)to practice sexual immorality and ^(DD)to eat food sacrificed to idols. ²¹I gave her time to repent, but ^(DE)she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. ²²Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, ²³and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he ^(DF)who searches mind and heart, and ^(DG)I will give to each of you according to your works. ²⁴But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ^(DH)the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I ^(DI)do not lay on you any other burden. ²⁵Only hold fast ^(DJ)what you have until I come. ²⁶^(DK)The one who conquers and who keeps my works ^(DL)until the end, ^(DM)to him I will give authority over the nations, ²⁷and ^(DN)he will ^(DO)rule^[e] them with a rod of iron, ^(DP)as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. ²⁸And I will give him ^(DQ)the morning star. ²⁹^(DR)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Sardis

3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him ^(DS)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation ^(DT)of being alive, ^(DU)but you are dead. ²Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works ^(DV)complete in the sight of my God. ³^(DW)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, ^(DX)I will come ^(DY)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. ⁴Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not ^(DZ)soiled their garments, and they will walk with me ^(EA)in white, for they are ^(EB)worthy. ⁵^(EC)The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never ^(ED)blot his name out of ^(EE)the book of life. ^(EF)I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. ⁶^(EG)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of ^(EH)the holy one, ^(EI)the true one, ^(EJ)who has the key of David, ^(EK)who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

⁸“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you ^(EL)an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹Behold, I will make those of ^(EM)the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, ^(EN)I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that ^(EO)I have loved you. ¹⁰^(EP)Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try ^(EQ)those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹^(ER)I am coming soon. ^(ES)Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize ^(ET)your crown. ¹²^(EU)The one who conquers, I will make him ^(EV)a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him ^(EW)the name of my God, and ^(EX)the name of the city of my God, ^(EY)the new Jerusalem, ^(EZ)which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own ^(FA)new name. ¹³^(FB)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the ^(FC)Amen, ^(FD)the faithful and true witness, ^(FE)the beginning of God's creation.

¹⁵“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. ^(FF)Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷^(FG)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, ^(FH)blind, and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you ^(FI)to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and ^(FJ)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ^(FK)the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, ^(FL)so that you may see. ¹⁹^(FM)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰Behold, I stand at the door and ^(FN)knock. ^(FO)If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, ^(FP)I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹^(FQ)The one who conquers, ^(FR)I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as ^(FS)I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²^(FT)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me ^(FU)like a trumpet, said, ^(FV)“Come up here, and ^(FW)I will show you what must take place after this.” ²At once ^(FX)I was in the Spirit, and behold, ^(FY)a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³And he who sat there had the appearance of ^(FZ)jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was ^(GA)a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ⁴Around the throne were ^(GB)twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, ^(GC)clothed in white garments, with ^(GD)golden crowns on their heads. ⁵From the throne came ^(GE)flashes of lightning, and rumblings^[f] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning ^(GF)seven torches of fire, ^(GG)which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶and before the throne there was ^(GH)as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are ^(GI)four living creatures, ^(GJ)full of eyes in front and behind: ⁷^(GK)the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. ⁸And the four living creatures, ^(GL)each of them with six wings, are ^(GM)full of eyes all around and within, and ^(GN)day and night they never cease to say,

^(GO)“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
^(GP)who was and is and is to come!”

⁹And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, ^(GQ)who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders ^(GR)fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast ^(GS)their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹^(GT)“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for ^(GU)you created all things,
and ^(GV)by your will they existed and were created.”

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne ^(GW)a scroll written within and on the back, ^(GX)sealed with seven seals. ²And ^(GY)I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, ^(GZ)the Lion ^(HA)of the tribe of Judah, ^(HB)the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw ^(HC)a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with ^(HD)seven eyes, which are ^(HE)the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders ^(HF)fell down before the Lamb, ^(HG)each holding a harp, and ^(HH)golden bowls full of incense, ^(HI)which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang ^(HJ)a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for ^(HK)you were slain, and by your blood ^(HL)you ransomed people for God
    from ^(HM)every tribe and language and people and nation,
¹⁰and you have made them ^(HN)a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.”

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering ^(HO)myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²saying with a loud voice,

^(HP)“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³And I heard ^(HQ)every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

¹⁴And the four living creatures ^(HR)said, “Amen!” and the elders ^(HS)fell down and worshiped.

Footnotes

Revelation 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for servant later in this verse
Revelation 1:7 Or mourn
Revelation 2:9 Greek blasphemy
Revelation 2:13 Or your faith in me
Revelation 2:27 Greek shepherd
Revelation 4:5 Or voices, or sounds