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
Revelation 1
New King James Version
Introduction and Benediction
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, (A)which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must [a]shortly take place. And (B)He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 (C)who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things (D)that he saw. 3 (E)Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for (F)the time is near.
Greeting the Seven Churches
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him (G)who is and (H)who was and who is to come, (I)and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, (J)the faithful (K)witness, the (L)firstborn from the dead, and (M)the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him (N)who [b]loved us (O)and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has (P)made us [c]kings and priests to His God and Father, (Q)to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with (R)clouds, and every eye will see Him, even (S)they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 (T)“I am the Alpha and the Omega, [d]the Beginning and the End,” says the [e]Lord, (U)“who is and who was and who is to come, the (V)Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, [f]both your brother and (W)companion in the tribulation and (X)kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 (Y)I was in the Spirit on (Z)the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me (AA)a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, [g]“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches [h]which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned (AB)I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 (AC)and in the midst of the seven lampstands (AD)One like the Son of Man, (AE)clothed with a garment down to the feet and (AF)girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and (AG)hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and (AH)His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 (AI)His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and (AJ)His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 (AK)He had in His right hand seven stars, (AL)out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, (AM)and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And (AN)when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But (AO)He laid His right hand on me, saying [i]to me, “Do not be afraid; (AP)I am the First and the Last. 18 (AQ)I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, (AR)I am alive forevermore. Amen. And (AS)I have the keys of [j]Hades and of Death. 19 [k]Write the things which you have (AT)seen, (AU)and the things which are, (AV)and the things which will take place after this. 20 The [l]mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are (AW)the [m]angels of the seven churches, and (AX)the seven lampstands [n]which you saw are the seven churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:1 quickly or swiftly
- Revelation 1:5 NU loves us and freed; M loves us and washed
- Revelation 1:6 NU, M a kingdom
- Revelation 1:8 NU, M omit the Beginning and the End
- Revelation 1:8 NU, M Lord God
- Revelation 1:9 NU, M omit both
- Revelation 1:11 NU, M omit “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and,
- Revelation 1:11 NU, M omit which are in Asia
- Revelation 1:17 NU, M omit to me
- Revelation 1:18 Lit. Unseen; the unseen realm
- Revelation 1:19 NU, M Therefore, write
- Revelation 1:20 hidden truth
- Revelation 1:20 Or messengers
- Revelation 1:20 NU, M omit which you saw
Hisgalus 1
Orthodox Jewish Bible
1 The Hisgalus [Revelation, Appearance, Exposure of what is Nistar (Hidden), Sod (Secret), Raz (Mystery)] of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua which Hashem gave to him to show to his mesharetim (servants, klei kodesh, ministers) MAH DI LEHEVE (“what will happen,” Dan 2:28f), the things which are destined to take place, and speedily; Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach made it known by sending his malach (angel) to his mesharet (servant, keli kodesh, minister), Yochanan. [AMOS 3:7]
2 Yochanan gave solemn eidus (testimony) to the Dvar Hashem and to the eidus of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, even to all that Yochanan saw.
3 Ashrey (Blessed, Happy) is the one reading and the ones hearing the divrei hanevu’ah (words of [this] prophecy) and remaining shomer regarding what is written in it, for karov (near) is HaYom [the time of crisis and the events related to the Bias HaMoshiach].
4 Yochanan to the sheva (seven) hakehillot (congregations) in Asia: Chen v’Chesed Hashem to you and Shalom from the One who is [SHEMOT 3:14], who was, and who is to come [YESHAYAH 41:4], and from the shevat haruchot which are before Hashem’s Kes (Throne) [merkavah chariot throne in Shomayim, YECHEZKEL 1:4-28].
5 And from Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, the ed hane’eman (faithful witness), the BECHOR (Firstborn, TEHILLIM 89:28 [27]) of the Mesim and the Nagid, ELYON L’MALKHEI A’RETZ ("Leader, Most exalted of Kings of the earth, TEHILLIM 89:27). To the One who has ahavah for us and has freed us [from the Golus of, YESHAYAH 59:2; 53:3] peyshaeinu [our transgressions, YESHAYAH 53:5] by [Geulah redemption through the kofer pedut ransom korban of his nefesh (YESHAYAH 53:10) in the kapporah atonement of] the dahm of him, [TEHILLIM 130:8; YESHAYAH 40:2; TEHILLIM 89:38; YIRMEYAH 42:5; YESHAYAH 55:4; BERESHIS 22:8; SHEMOT 12:13; YESHAYAH 53:7; VAYIKRA 17:11]
6 And made us a Malchut (Kingdom), a Mamlekhet kohanim (a Kingdom of priests, SHEMOT 19:6), kohanim doing avodas kodesh sherut to his Elohim HaAv, lo hakavod v’hagevurah l’olmey olamim. Omein (to him be glory and powerful dominion forever and ever. Omein). [SHEMOT 19:6; 23:22; YESHAYAH 61:6]
7 Hinei, Hu habah (He comes) with HA’ANANIM (glory clouds) and kol ayin (every eye) will see him, even the ones who PIERCED HIM, and all the mishpachot (families) of ha’aretz will MOURN for Him. Ken, even so. Omein. [DANIEL 7:13; ZECHARYAH 12:10f; BERESHIS 12:3;28:14]
8 Ani Hu the Aleph and the Tav, says Hashem Adonoi, the One who is and the One who was and the One coming, Adonoi Tzivos (L-rd of armies). [SHEMOT 3:14; YESHAYAH 41:4; AMOS 3:13; 4:13 TARGUM HA-SHIVIM]
9 I, Yochanan, your Ach b’Moshiach and your fellow partaker taking the chelek (inheritance) in the tzarah (trouble, Mt 24:15f), the Chevlai Moshiach (birthpangs of Moshiach), and the Malchut (Kingdom) and the savlanut (patient endurance) in Moshiach‖I was on the island called Patmos because of the Dvar Hashem and the eidus (witness) of [Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach] Yehoshua. [SHEMOT 20:18; DANIEL 8:1]
10 I was in the Ruach Hakodesh on Yom HaAdon, and I heard behind me a kol gadol (a loud voice), like the blast of a shofar, [YECHEZKEL 3:12; SHEMOT 19:16]
11 Saying, Ani Hu the Aleph and the Tav, HaRishon (The first) and HaAcharon (The last): and, What you see [in the chazon], write in a sefer and send it to the sheva (seven) HaKehillot, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. [YESHAYAH 30:8]
12 Then I turned to see the kol which was speaking with me, and, having turned, I saw sheva menorot zahav (seven golden menorahs). [ZECHARYAH 4:2; SHEMOT 25:31-40]
13 And in the midst of the menorot stood One like the Ben HaAdam [DANIEL 7:13-14; YECHEZKEL 1:26], having been clothed in a Beketch (long coat) reaching to the feet and having been wrapped around at the chest with a golden gartel. [DANIEL 7:13; YECHEZKEL 1:26; 9:2,11 TARGUM HA-SHIVIM; DANIEL 10:5,16; YESHAYAH 6:1]
14 And the rosh of him and the hair were lavan (white), like wool, like snow, and the eynayim (eyes) of him were like a flame of eish (fire), [DANIEL 7:9]
15 And the feet of him were like burnished bronze as if in a furnace having been made to glow, and the kol (voice) of him as the sound of mayim rabbim (many waters). [DANIEL 10:6; YECHEZKEL 1:7,24; 43:2; YESHAYAH 1:20; 49:2; SHOFETIM 5:31]
16 And he had in the yad yamin (right hand) of him shevat hakokhavim (seven stars) and out of the mouth of him a sharp two-edged cherev (sword) going forth and the face of him was like the shemesh (sun) shining in its power. [YESHAYAH 1:20; 49:2; SHOFETIM 5:31]
17 And when I saw him [Moshiach], I fell at the feet of him as though dead, and he placed the yad yamin [right hand] of him upon me saying, Do not fear; I am HaRishon (The First) and HaAcharon (The Last) [YESHAYAH 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; YECHEZKEL 1:28; DANIEL 8:17,18;]
18 And HaChai (The Living One), and I became Niftar, I had my histalkus (passing), and, hinei, Chai Ani l’Olam va’ed (I am alive forevermore) and I have the maftekhot haMavet (keys of Death) and the maftekhot haShe’ol (keys of the abode of the Dead). [YESHAYAH 41:4; 44:2,6; 48:12; YECHEZKEL 1:28; DANIEL 4:34; 12:7; 8:17-18; DEVARIM 32:40; IYOV 38:17]
19 Therefore, write down the Chazon (Revelation, Prophecy, Vision, Hisgalus, CHABAKUK 2:2), that is, the things you saw and the things which are and the things which are about to happen after these things. [YESHAYAH 48:6 TARGUM HA-SHIVIM; DANIEL 2:28,29,45]
20 The raz (mystery, sod) of the shevat hakokhavim (seven stars) which you saw in the yad yamin (right hand) of me and the sheva golden menorot: the shevat hakokhavim are the malachim (angels) of the Kehillot (Congregations) and the sheva menorot are the sheva Kehillot.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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