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
American Standard Version
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [a]gave him to show unto his [b]servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified [c]it by his angel unto his servant John; 2 who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him [d]who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and [e]loosed us from our sins [f]by his blood; 6 and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto [g]his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion [h]for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, [i]who is and who was and [j]who is to come, the Almighty.
9 I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and [k]patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet 11 saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden [l]candlesticks; 13 and in the midst of the [m]candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. 14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last, 18 and the Living one; and I [n]was dead, and behold, I am alive [o]for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter; 20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest [p]in my right hand, and the seven golden [q]candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven [r]candlesticks are seven churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:1 Or, gave unto him, to show unto his servants the things etc.
- Revelation 1:1 Greek bondservants.
- Revelation 1:1 Or, them
- Revelation 1:4 Or, who cometh
- Revelation 1:5 Many authorities, some ancient, read washed. Heb. 9:14; compare 7:14.
- Revelation 1:5 Greek in.
- Revelation 1:6 Or, God and his Father
- Revelation 1:6 Greek unto the ages of the ages. Many ancient authorities omit of the ages.
- Revelation 1:8 Or, he who
- Revelation 1:8 Or, who cometh
- Revelation 1:9 Or, stedfastness
- Revelation 1:12 Greek lampstands.
- Revelation 1:13 Greek lampstands.
- Revelation 1:18 Greek became.
- Revelation 1:18 Greek unto the ages of the ages.
- Revelation 1:20 Greek upon.
- Revelation 1:20 Greek lampstands.
- Revelation 1:20 Greek lampstands.
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