Revelation 1

Modern

Literal

Prologue

¹This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon^a come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,

¹The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show to His servants what is necessary to take place in quickness. And He signified it through having sent His angel to His servant John,

²who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

²who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, as much as he saw.

³Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.

³Blessed is the one reading and those hearing the words of the prophecy and keeping the things written in it; for the time is near.

John Greets the Seven Churches

⁴John,

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:^a

Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits^b before His throne,

⁴John, To the seven churches in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the One who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits before His throne,

⁵and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,

⁵and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To the One loving us and releasing us from our sins in His blood—

⁶who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

⁶and He made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion to the ages of the ages. Amen.

⁷Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.

⁷Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail because of Him. Yes! Amen.

⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^a says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.

⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.

John’s Vision on Patmos

⁹I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.

⁹I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus, was in the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

¹⁰On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

¹¹saying,^a “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

¹¹saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

¹²Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,

¹²And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,

¹³and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man,^a dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.

¹³and in the midst of the lampstands, One like the Son of Man, dressed to the foot, and girded around at the breasts with a golden sash.

¹⁴The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.

¹⁴And His head and the hairs were white as wool, white as snow, and His eyes as a flame of fire,

¹⁵His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.

¹⁵and His feet like burnished bronze, as having been refined in a furnace, and His voice as a voice of many waters,

¹⁶He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

¹⁶and having in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword is going forth out of His mouth; and His face is as the sun shining in its power.

¹⁷When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

¹⁷And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He placed His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

¹⁸the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.

¹⁸and the Living One. And I became dead, and behold I am living to the ages of the ages, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.

¹⁹Therefore write down the things you have seen, the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.

¹⁹Therefore write the things that you saw, and the things that are, and the things that are about to take place after these.

²⁰This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

²⁰The mystery of the seven stars, which you saw on My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.