Revelation 1
Christian Standard Bible
Prologue
1 The revelation of[a] Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants(A) what must soon take place.(B) He made it known by sending his angel(C) to his servant John,(D) 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony[b] of Jesus Christ,(E) whatever he saw.[c] 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,(F) and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep[d] what is written in it, because the time is near.
4 John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace(G) to you from[e] the one who is, who was, and who is to come,(H) and from the seven spirits[f](I) before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,(J) the firstborn from the dead(K) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.(L)
To him who loves us and has set us free[g] from our sins by his blood,(M) 6 and made us a kingdom,[h] priests[i](N) to his God and Father—to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.(O)
7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,(P)
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
And all the tribes[j] of the earth[k](Q)
will mourn over him.[l][m] (R)
So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”(S) says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John’s Vision of the Risen Lord
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the affliction,(T) kingdom,(U) and endurance(V) that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.(W) 10 I was in the Spirit[n](X) on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet(Y) 11 saying, “Write(Z) on a scroll[o] what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see whose voice(AA) it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,(AB) 13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man,[p](AC) dressed in a robe(AD) and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.(AE) 14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow(AF)—and his eyes like a fiery flame.(AG) 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace,(AH) and his voice like the sound of cascading[q] waters.(AI) 16 He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth,(AJ) and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.(AK)
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.(AL) He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,(AM) 18 and the Living One.(AN) I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever,(AO) and I hold the keys(AP) of death and Hades. 19 Therefore write what you have seen,(AQ) what is, and what will take place after this. 20 The mystery(AR) of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[r] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands[s] are the seven churches.(AS)
Footnotes
- 1:1 Or Revelation of, or A revelation of
- 1:2 Or witness
- 1:2 Or as many as he saw
- 1:3 Or follow, or obey
- 1:4 Other mss add God
- 1:4 Or the sevenfold Spirit
- 1:5 Other mss read has washed us
- 1:6 Other mss read kings and
- 1:6 Or made us into (or to be) a kingdom of priests; Ex 19:6
- 1:7 Or peoples
- 1:7 Gn 12:3; 28:14; Zch 14:17
- 1:7 Or will wail because of him
- 1:7 Dn 7:13; Zch 12:10
- 1:10 Or in spirit; lit I became in the Spirit
- 1:11 Or book
- 1:13 Or like a son of man
- 1:15 Lit many
- 1:20 Or messengers
- 1:20 Other mss add that you saw
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.
