Many Signs and Wonders Done

¹² Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people ^(A)by the hands of the apostles. And they were all ^(B)together in ^(C)Solomon's Portico. ¹³ None of the rest dared join them, but ^(D)the people held them in high esteem. ¹⁴ And ^(E)more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ^15 (F)so that they even ^(G)carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by ^(H)at least his shadow might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, ^(I)bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed

¹⁷ But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of ^(J)the Sadducees), and filled with ^(K)jealousy ¹⁸ they arrested the apostles and ^(L)put them in the public prison. ¹⁹ But during the night ^(M)an angel of the Lord ^(N)opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all ^(O)the words of ^(P)this ^(Q)Life.”

Greeting to the Seven Churches

⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from ^(A)him ^(B)who is and ^(C)who was and who is to come, and from ^(D)the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ ^(E)the faithful witness, ^(F)the firstborn of the dead, and ^(G)the ruler of kings on earth.

To ^(H)him who loves us and ^(I)has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us ^(J)a kingdom, ^(K)priests to ^(L)his God and Father, to him be ^(M)glory and ^(N)dominion forever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, ^(O)he is coming with the clouds, and ^(P)every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail^[a] on account of him. Even so. Amen.

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

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, your brother and ^(S)partner in ^(T)the tribulation and ^(U)the kingdom and ^(V)the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(W)on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ^10 (X)I was in the Spirit ^(Y)on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(Z)like a trumpet ¹¹ saying, ^(AA)“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.”

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

^17 (AO)When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But ^(AP)he laid his right hand on me, ^(AQ)saying, “Fear not, ^(AR)I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. ^(AS)I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and ^(AT)I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

^19 (A)On the evening ^(B)of that day, the first day of the week, ^(C)the doors being locked where the disciples were ^(D)for fear of the Jews,^[a] Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ^(E)“Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, ^(F)he showed them his hands and his side. Then ^(G)the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As ^(H)the Father has sent me, ^(I)even so I am sending you.” ²² And when he had said this, he ^(J)breathed on them and said to them, ^(K)“Receive the Holy Spirit. ^23 (L)If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus and Thomas

²⁴ Now ^(M)Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,^[b] was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, ^(N)“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. ^(O)Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ^(P)“Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, ^(Q)“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, ^(R)“My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? ^(S)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of This Book

^30 (T)Now Jesus did many other signs ^(U)in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ^31 (V)but these are written so that you may ^(W)believe that Jesus is the Christ, ^(X)the Son of God, and that by believing ^(Y)you may have life ^(Z)in his name.