Revelation 1:4-19

New International Version

Greetings and Doxology

⁴John,

To the seven churches^(A) in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you^(B) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(C) and from the seven spirits^[a]^(D) before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,^(E) the firstborn from the dead,^(F) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(G)

To him who loves us^(H) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,^(I) ⁶and has made us to be a kingdom and priests^(J) to serve his God and Father^(K)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.^(L)

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

⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(P) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(Q) the Almighty.”^(R)

John’s Vision of Christ

⁹I, John,^(S) your brother and companion in the suffering^(T) and kingdom^(U) and patient endurance^(V) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God^(W) and the testimony of Jesus.^(X) ¹⁰On the Lord’s Day^(Y) I was in the Spirit,^(Z) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,^(AA) ¹¹which said: “Write on a scroll what you see^(AB) and send it to the seven churches:^(AC) to Ephesus,^(AD) Smyrna,^(AE) Pergamum,^(AF) Thyatira,^(AG) Sardis,^(AH) Philadelphia^(AI) and Laodicea.”^(AJ)

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

¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet^(AV) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me^(AW) and said: “Do not be afraid.^(AX) I am the First and the Last.^(AY) ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead,^(AZ) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!^(BA) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.^(BB)