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Revelation 1
New International Reader's Version

The Revelation Is Given

1 This is the revelation from Jesus Christ. God gave it to him to show those who serve God what will happen soon. God made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. 2 John is a witness to everything he saw. What he saw is God’s word and what Jesus Christ has said. 3 Blessed is the one who reads out loud the words of this prophecy. Blessed are those who hear it and think everything it says is important. The time when these things will come true is near.

Greetings and Praise to God

4 I, John, am writing this letter.

I am sending it to the seven churches in Asia Minor.

May grace and peace come to you from God. He is the one who is, and who was, and who will come. May grace and peace come to you from the seven spirits. These spirits are in front of God’s throne. 5 May grace and peace come to you from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness, so what he has shown can be trusted. He was the first to rise from the dead. He rules over the kings of the earth.

Glory and power belong to Jesus Christ who loves us! He has set us free from our sins by pouring out his blood for us. 6 He has made us members of his royal family. He has made us priests who serve his God and Father. Glory and power belong to Jesus Christ for ever and ever! Amen.

7 “Look! He is coming with the clouds!” (Daniel 7:13)
    “Every eye will see him.
Even those who pierced him will see him.”
    All the nations of the earth “will mourn because of him.” (Zechariah 12:10)
This will really happen! Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord God. “I am the God who is, and who was, and who will come. I am the Mighty One.”

John’s Vision of Christ

9 I, John, am a believer like you. I am a friend who suffers like you. As members of Jesus’ royal family, we can put up with anything that happens to us. I was on the island of Patmos because I taught God’s word and what Jesus said. 10 The Holy Spirit gave me a vision on the Lord’s Day. I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet. 11 The voice said, “Write on a scroll what you see. Send it to the seven churches in Asia Minor. They are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

12 I turned around to see who was speaking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13 In the middle of them was someone who looked “like a son of man.” (Daniel 7:13) He was dressed in a long robe with a gold strip of cloth around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze metal glowing in a furnace. His voice sounded like rushing waters. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand. Coming out of his mouth was a sharp sword with two edges. His face was like the sun shining in all its brightness.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. Then he put his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One. I was dead. But now look! I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys to Death and Hell.

19 “So write down what you have seen. Write about what is happening now and what will happen later. 20 Here is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand. They are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven golden lampstands you saw stand for the seven churches.

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Apocalypse 1
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Jésus, le témoin digne de foi

1 Révélation[a] de Jésus-Christ.

Cette révélation, Dieu l’a confiée à Jésus-Christ pour qu’il montre à ses serviteurs ce qui doit arriver bientôt[b] ; et Jésus-Christ, en envoyant son ange, l’a fait connaître à son serviteur Jean. 2 En tant que témoin, celui-ci a annoncé la Parole de Dieu que Jésus-Christ lui a transmise par son propre témoignage : il a annoncé tout ce qu’il a vu. 3 Heureux celui qui donne lecture des paroles de cette prophétie et ceux qui les entendent, et qui obéissent à ce qui est écrit dans ce livre, car le temps est proche.

4 Jean salue les sept Eglises qui sont dans la province d’Asie[c] : que la grâce et la paix vous soient données de la part de celui qui est, qui était et qui vient[d], de la part des sept esprits[e] qui se tiennent devant son trône 5 et de la part de Jésus-Christ, le témoin[f] digne de foi, le premier-né d’entre les morts[g] et le souverain des rois de la terre.

Il nous aime, il nous a délivrés de nos péchés par son sacrifice, 6 il a fait de nous un peuple de rois, des prêtres au service de Dieu[h], son Père : à lui donc soient la gloire et le pouvoir pour l’éternité ! Amen.

7 Voici ! Il vient
au milieu des nuées[i] ,
et tout le monde le verra,
même ceux qui l’ont transpercé,
et toutes les familles de la terre
se lamenteront à cause de lui[j] .
Oui, amen !
8 « Moi je suis l’Alpha et l’Oméga[k] »,
dit le Seigneur Dieu,
celui qui est, qui était et qui vient,
le Tout-Puissant[l].

La vision du Ressuscité

9 Moi, Jean, votre frère, qui partage avec vous la détresse, le royaume et la persévérance dans l’union avec Jésus, j’étais dans l’île de Patmos[m] parce que j’avais proclamé la Parole de Dieu et le témoignage rendu par Jésus. 10 Le jour du Seigneur[n], l’Esprit de Dieu se saisit de moi, et j’entendis derrière moi une voix forte, pareille au son d’une trompette. 11 Elle disait : Inscris dans un livre ce que tu vois, et envoie-le à ces sept Eglises : Ephèse, Smyrne, Pergame, Thyatire, Sardes, Philadelphie et Laodicée.

12 Je me retournai pour découvrir quelle était cette voix. Et l’ayant fait, voici ce que je vis : il y avait sept chandeliers d’or 13 et, au milieu des chandeliers, quelqu’un qui ressemblait à un homme. Il portait une longue tunique, et une ceinture d’or lui entourait la poitrine. 14 Sa tête et ses cheveux étaient blancs comme de la laine blanche, oui, comme la neige. Ses yeux étaient comme une flamme ardente 15 et ses pieds étincelaient comme du bronze incandescent au sortir d’un creuset. Sa voix retentissait comme celle des grandes eaux[o]. 16 Dans sa main droite, il tenait sept étoiles, et de sa bouche sortait une épée aiguisée à double tranchant[p]. Son visage était éblouissant comme le soleil quand il brille de tout son éclat.

17 Quand je le vis, je tombai à ses pieds, comme mort. Alors il posa sa main droite sur moi en disant :

N’aie pas peur. Moi, je suis le premier et le dernier[q], 18 le vivant. J’ai été mort, et voici : je suis vivant pour l’éternité ! Je détiens les clés de la mort et du séjour des morts. 19 Ecris donc ce que tu as vu, ce qui est, et ce qui va arriver ensuite. 20 Mais d’abord voici quel est le secret des sept étoiles que tu as vues dans ma main droite et des sept chandeliers d’or : les sept étoiles sont les anges des sept Eglises et les sept chandeliers les sept Eglises.

Footnotes

  1. 1.1 Traduction du mot apocalypse. Cette révélation a été donnée par le Père au Fils, puis par le Fils à Jean par l’intermédiaire d’un ange.
  2. 1.1 Ou : d’une manière soudaine, inattendue.
  3. 1.4 Localisées dans un cercle de 80 kilomètres autour d’Ephèse, énumérées aux chapitres 2 et 3. Ces Eglises, selon certains, représentent les Eglises de tous les temps (sept symbolise la totalité).
  4. 1.4 Paraphrase du nom de Dieu révélé à Moïse (Ex 3.14-15 ; comparer Hé 13.8). Un écrit juif le désignait comme « Celui qui est, qui était et qui sera » (Targum de Jérusalem).
  5. 1.4 Le chiffre sept symbolise la perfection, la totalité.
  6. 1.5 Qualification du Messie reprise d’Es 55.4.
  7. 1.5 Voir 1 Co 15.20, 23.
  8. 1.6 Voir Ex 19.6.
  9. 1.7 Dn 7.13. Dans plusieurs manifestations de Dieu, il est question des nuées (Ex 19.16 ; Es 6.4 ; Mc 9.7 ; Ac 1.9 ; comparer Mt 24.30 ; 25.31 ; 26.64).
  10. 1.7 Za 12.10, 14.
  11. 1.8 Première et dernière lettres de l’alphabet grec (comparer 21.6 ; 22.13).
  12. 1.8 Voir Ex 3.14. Le terme : Tout-Puissant est la traduction donnée par la Septante de l’expression : le Seigneur des armées célestes. Ce nom était aussi appliqué à l’empereur.
  13. 1.9 Petite île de la mer Egée à une centaine de kilomètres d’Ephèse. Les autorités romaines y exilaient ceux qu’elles jugeaient indésirables.
  14. 1.10 Cette expression (jour dominical) est déjà appliquée au premier jour de la semaine (dimanche) par Ignace d’Antioche, un contemporain de Jean.
  15. 1.15 Cette description renvoie à plusieurs textes de l’Ancien Testament : Dn 7.13 ; 10.5 ; 7.9 ; 10.6.
  16. 1.16 Voir Es 49.2.
  17. 1.17 Voir Es 44.6 et 48.12 où il s’agit de Dieu. Ici il est question de Christ (Ap 2 ; 8 ; 22.13).
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Revelation 1
New International Version

Prologue

1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave(A) him to show his servants what must soon take place.(B) He made it known by sending his angel(C) to his servant John,(D) 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God(E) and the testimony of Jesus Christ.(F) 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,(G) because the time is near.(H)

Greetings and Doxology

4 John,

To the seven churches(I) in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you(J) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,(K) and from the seven spirits[a](L) before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,(M) the firstborn from the dead,(N) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.(O)

To him who loves us(P) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,(Q) 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests(R) to serve his God and Father(S)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.(T)

7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b](U)
    and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;(V)
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn(W) because of him.”[c]
So shall it be! Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”(X) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,(Y) the Almighty.”(Z)

John’s Vision of Christ

9 I, John,(AA) your brother and companion in the suffering(AB) and kingdom(AC) and patient endurance(AD) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God(AE) and the testimony of Jesus.(AF) 10 On the Lord’s Day(AG) I was in the Spirit,(AH) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,(AI) 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see(AJ) and send it to the seven churches:(AK) to Ephesus,(AL) Smyrna,(AM) Pergamum,(AN) Thyatira,(AO) Sardis,(AP) Philadelphia(AQ) and Laodicea.”(AR)

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,(AS) 13 and among the lampstands(AT) was someone like a son of man,[d](AU) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet(AV) and with a golden sash around his chest.(AW) 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.(AX) 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,(AY) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.(AZ) 16 In his right hand he held seven stars,(BA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.(BB) His face was like the sun(BC) shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet(BD) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me(BE) and said: “Do not be afraid.(BF) I am the First and the Last.(BG) 18 I am the Living One; I was dead,(BH) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!(BI) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.(BJ)

19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen,(BK) what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand(BL) and of the seven golden lampstands(BM) is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches,(BN) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.(BO)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
  2. Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13
  3. Revelation 1:7 Zech. 12:10
  4. Revelation 1:13 See Daniel 7:13.
  5. Revelation 1:20 Or messengers
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