Happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it. John is to write to the seven congregations in Asia. Seven candlesticks, and in the midst of them one like the Son of man.

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him so that he could show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and showed it by his angel to his servant John, ² who bore witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all the things that he saw. ³ Happy is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep those things that are written therein. For the time is at hand.

⁴ John, to the seven congregations in Asia. Grace be with you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits that are present before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is a faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and Lord over the kings of the earth.

To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, ⁶ and made us kings and priests unto God his Father, be glory and dominion forevermore. Amen. ⁷ Behold, he comes with clouds, and all eyes shall see him, and they also who pierced him. And all the kindreds of the earth shall wail. Even so. Amen. ⁸ I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord Almighty, who is and who was and who is to come.

⁹ I, John, your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience which is in Jesus Christ, was in the isle of Patmos for the word of God, and for the witnessing of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on a Sunday, and heard behind me a great voice, as if of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. That which you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven congregations that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

¹² And I turned back to see the voice that spoke to me. And when I was turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, ¹³ and in the midst of the candlesticks one like the Son of man, clothed with a linen garment down to the ground, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white like white wool, and like snow. And his eyes were as a flame of fire, ¹⁵ and his feet like brass, as though glowing in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ And he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And his face shone, even as the sun in its strength.

¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet, even as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying to me, Fear not. I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and am alive; and was dead, but behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of hell and of death. ¹⁹ Write therefore the things that you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will be fulfilled hereafter, ²⁰ and the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the messengers of the seven congregations, and the seven candlesticks that you saw are the seven congregations.