Revelation 1
Common English Bible
Greetings
1 A revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. Christ made it known by sending it through his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the witness of Jesus Christ, including all that John saw. 3 Favored is the one who reads the words of this prophecy out loud, and favored are those who listen to it being read, and keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
4 John, to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace and peace to you from the one who is and was and is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before God’s throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ—the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To the one who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 who made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and always. Amen.
7 Look, he is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him, including those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. This is so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and was and is coming, the Almighty.”
Christ appears to John
9 I, John, your brother who shares with you in the hardship, kingdom, and endurance that we have in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and my witness about Jesus. 10 I was in a Spirit-inspired trance on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet. 11 It said, “Write down on a scroll whatever you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 I turned to see who was speaking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven oil lamps burning on top of seven gold stands. 13 In the middle of the lampstands I saw someone who looked like the Human One.[a] He wore a robe that stretched down to his feet, and he had a gold sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white as white wool—like snow—and his eyes were like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine brass that has been purified in a furnace, and his voice sounded like rushing water. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His appearance was like the sun shining with all its power.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. But he put his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, but look! Now I’m alive forever and always. I have the keys of Death and the Grave. 19 So write down what you have seen, both the scene now before you and the things that are about to unfold after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands, here is what they mean: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:13 Or Son of Man
Revelation 1
New American Standard Bible
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which (A)God gave Him to (B)show to His bond-servants, (C)the things which must soon take place; and He sent and [a]communicated it (D)by His angel to His bond-servant (E)John, 2 who testified to (F)the word of God and to (G)the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. 3 (H)Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and [b]keep the things which are written in it; (I)for the time is near.
Message to the Seven Churches
4 (J)John to (K)the seven churches that are in (L)Asia: (M)Grace to you and peace from (N)Him who is, and who was, and who [c]is to come, and from (O)the [d]seven spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, (P)the faithful witness, the (Q)firstborn of the dead, and the (R)ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who (S)loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He made us into a (T)kingdom, (U)priests to [e](V)His God and Father—(W)to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 (X)Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and (Y)every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will (Z)mourn over Him. [f]So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am (AA)the Alpha and the Omega,” says the (AB)Lord God, “(AC)who is and who was and who [g]is to come, the Almighty.”
The Patmos Vision
9 (AD)I, John, your (AE)brother and (AF)fellow participant in the tribulation and (AG)kingdom and [h](AH)perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos (AI)because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was (AJ)in the [i]Spirit on (AK)the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice (AL)like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, “(AM)Write [j]on a scroll what you see, and send it to the (AN)seven churches: to (AO)Ephesus, (AP)Smyrna, (AQ)Pergamum, (AR)Thyatira, (AS)Sardis, (AT)Philadelphia, and (AU)Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw (AV)seven golden lampstands; 13 and (AW)in the middle of the lampstands I saw one (AX)like [k]a son of man, (AY)clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and (AZ)wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His (BA)hair were white like white wool, like snow; and (BB)His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His (BC)feet were like [l]burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His (BD)voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held (BE)seven stars, and out of His mouth came a (BF)sharp two-edged sword; and His (BG)face was like (BH)the sun [m]shining in its strength.
17 When I saw Him, I (BI)fell at His feet like a dead man. And He (BJ)placed His right hand on me, saying, “(BK)Do not be afraid; (BL)I am the first and the last, 18 and the (BM)living One; and I [n](BN)was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have (BO)the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Therefore (BP)write (BQ)the things which you have seen, [o]and the things which are, and the things which will take place (BR)after these things. 20 As for the (BS)mystery of the (BT)seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the (BU)seven golden lampstands: the (BV)seven stars are the angels of (BW)the seven churches, and the seven (BX)lampstands are the seven churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:1 Or signified
- Revelation 1:3 Or follow
- Revelation 1:4 Or is coming
- Revelation 1:4 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
- Revelation 1:6 Or God and His Father
- Revelation 1:7 Or Yes. Amen.
- Revelation 1:8 Or is coming
- Revelation 1:9 Or steadfastness
- Revelation 1:10 Or spirit
- Revelation 1:11 Or in a book
- Revelation 1:13 Or the Son of Man
- Revelation 1:15 Or fine brass
- Revelation 1:16 Lit shines
- Revelation 1:18 Lit became
- Revelation 1:19 Or both the things
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
