¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars,^(A) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.^(B) His face was like the sun^(C) shining in all its brilliance.

²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand^(A) and of the seven golden lampstands^(B) is this: The seven stars are the angels^[a] of the seven churches,^(C) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.^(D)

To the Church in Sardis

3 “To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis^(A) write: