Prologue
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The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God 1gave him 2to show to his servantsa the things that must soon take place. 3He made it known by sending his angel to his servantb John,
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4who bore witness to the word of God and to 5the testimony of Jesus Christ, even 6to all that he saw.
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7Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, 8for the time is near.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
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John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from 9him 10who is and 11who was and who is to come, and from 12the seven spirits who are before his throne,
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and from Jesus Christ 13the faithful witness, 14the firstborn of the dead, and 15the ruler of kings on earth. To 16him who loves us and 17has freed us from our sins by his blood
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and made us 18a kingdom, 19priests to 20his God and Father, to him be 21glory and 22dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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Behold, 23he is coming with the clouds, and 24every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wailc on account of him. Even so. Amen.
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25"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, 26"who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Vision of the Son of Man
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I, John, your brother and 27partner in 28the tribulation and 29the kingdom and 30the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos 31on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
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saying, 35"Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
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Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw 36seven golden lampstands,
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and in the midst of the lampstands 37one like 38a son of man, 39clothed with a long robe and 40with a golden sash around his chest.
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41The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. 42His eyes were like a flame of fire,
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43his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and 44his voice was like the roar of many waters.
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45In his right hand he held seven stars, 46from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and 47his face was like the sun shining 48in full strength.
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49When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But 50he laid his right hand on me, 51saying, "Fear not, 52I am the first and the last,
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and the living one. 53I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and 54I have the keys of Death and Hades.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)