1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, ¹  which God gave him to show his servants ²  what must happen very soon. ³  He made it clear ⁴  by sending his angel to his servant ⁵  John, 1:2 who then ⁶  testified to everything that he saw concerning the word of God and the testimony about ⁷  Jesus Christ. 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this ⁸  prophecy aloud, ⁹  and blessed are ¹⁰  those who hear and obey ¹¹  the things written in it, because the time is near! ¹² 

1:4 From John, ¹³  to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: ¹⁴  Grace and peace to you ¹⁵  from “he who is,” ¹⁶  and who was, and who is still to come, ¹⁷  and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 1:5 and from Jesus Christ – the faithful ¹⁸  witness, ¹⁹  the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has set us free ²⁰  from our sins at the cost of ²¹  his own blood 1:6 and has appointed ²²  us as a kingdom, ²³  as priests ²⁴  serving his God and Father – to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! ²⁵  Amen.

1:7 (Look! He is returning with the clouds, ²⁶ 

and every eye will see him,

even ²⁷  those who pierced him, ²⁸ 

and all the tribes ²⁹  on the earth will mourn because ³⁰  of him.

This will certainly come to pass! ³¹  Amen.) ³² 

1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” ³³  says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful! ³⁴ 

1:9 I, John, your brother and the one who shares ³⁵  with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that ³⁶  are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. ³⁷  1:10 I was in the Spirit ³⁸  on the Lord’s Day ³⁹  when ⁴⁰  I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 1:11 saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches – to Ephesus, ⁴¹  Smyrna, ⁴²  Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

1:12 I ⁴³  turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, ⁴⁴  and when I did so, ⁴⁵  I saw seven golden lampstands, 1:13 and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man. ⁴⁶  He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden belt ⁴⁷  around his chest. 1:14 His ⁴⁸  head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, ⁴⁹  and his eyes were like a fiery ⁵⁰  flame. 1:15 His feet were like polished bronze ⁵¹  refined ⁵²  in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar ⁵³  of many waters. 1:16 He held ⁵⁴  seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His ⁵⁵  face shone like the sun shining at full strength. 1:17 When ⁵⁶  I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but ⁵⁷  he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, 1:18 and the one who lives! I ⁵⁸  was dead, but look, now I am alive – forever and ever – and I hold the keys of death and of Hades! ⁵⁹  1:19 Therefore write what you saw, what is, and what will be after these things. ⁶⁰  1:20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this: ⁶¹  The seven stars are the angels ⁶²  of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, ⁶³  write the following: ⁶⁴ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁶⁵  the one who has a firm grasp on ⁶⁶  the seven stars in his right hand ⁶⁷  – the one who walks among the seven golden ⁶⁸  lampstands: 2:2 ‘I know your works as well as your ⁶⁹  labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate ⁷⁰  evil. You have even put to the test ⁷¹  those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false. 2:3 I am also aware ⁷²  that you have persisted steadfastly, ⁷³  endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. 2:4 But I have this against you: You have departed ⁷⁴  from your first love! 2:5 Therefore, remember from what high state ⁷⁵  you have fallen and repent! Do ⁷⁶  the deeds you did at the first; ⁷⁷  if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place – that is, if you do not repent. ⁷⁸  2:6 But you do have this going for you: ⁷⁹  You hate what the Nicolaitans ⁸⁰  practice ⁸¹  – practices I also hate. 2:7 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, ⁸²  I will permit ⁸³  him to eat from the tree of life that is ⁸⁴  in the paradise of God.’ ⁸⁵ 

2:8 “To ⁸⁶  the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: ⁸⁷ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁸⁸  the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but ⁸⁹  came to life: 2:9 ‘I know the distress you are suffering ⁹⁰  and your poverty (but you are rich). I also know ⁹¹  the slander against you ⁹²  by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but are a synagogue ⁹³  of Satan. 2:10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown ⁹⁴  into prison so you may be tested, ⁹⁵  and you will experience suffering ⁹⁶  for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. ⁹⁷  2:11 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers ⁹⁸  will in no way be harmed by the second death.’

2:12 “To ⁹⁹  the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following: ¹⁰⁰ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹⁰¹  the one who has the sharp double-edged sword: ¹⁰²  2:13 ‘I know ¹⁰³  where you live – where Satan’s throne is. Yet ¹⁰⁴  you continue to cling ¹⁰⁵  to my name and you have not denied your ¹⁰⁶  faith in me, ¹⁰⁷  even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, ¹⁰⁸  who was killed in your city ¹⁰⁹  where Satan lives. 2:14 But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, ¹¹⁰  who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block ¹¹¹  before the people ¹¹²  of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. ¹¹³  2:15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹¹⁴  2:16 Therefore, ¹¹⁵  repent! If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people ¹¹⁶  with the sword of my mouth. 2:17 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, ¹¹⁷  I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white ¹¹⁸  stone, ¹¹⁹  and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand ¹²⁰  except the one who receives it.’

2:18 “To ¹²¹  the angel of the church in Thyatira writethe following: ¹²² 

“ This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹²³  the Son of God, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame ¹²⁴  and whose feet are like polished bronze: ¹²⁵  2:19 ‘I know your deeds: your love, faith, ¹²⁶  service, and steadfast endurance. ¹²⁷  In fact, ¹²⁸  your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones. 2:20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that ¹²⁹  woman ¹³⁰  Jezebel, ¹³¹  who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives ¹³²  my servants ¹³³  to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ¹³⁴  2:21 I ¹³⁵  have given her time to repent, but ¹³⁶  she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality. 2:22 Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, ¹³⁷  and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, ¹³⁸  unless they repent of her deeds. 2:23 Furthermore, I will strike her followers ¹³⁹  with a deadly disease, ¹⁴⁰  and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay ¹⁴¹  each one of you ¹⁴²  what your deeds deserve. ¹⁴³  2:24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching ¹⁴⁴  (who have not learned the so-called “deep secrets ¹⁴⁵  of Satan”), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden on you. 2:25 However, hold on to what you have until I come. 2:26 And to the one who conquers ¹⁴⁶  and who continues in ¹⁴⁷  my deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations ¹⁴⁸  –

2:27 he ¹⁴⁹  will rule ¹⁵⁰  them with an iron rod ¹⁵¹ 

and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, ¹⁵² 

2:28 just as I have received the right to rule ¹⁵³  from my Father – and I will give him the morning star. ¹⁵⁴  2:29 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:1 “To ¹⁵⁵  the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: ¹⁵⁶ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹⁵⁷  the one who holds ¹⁵⁸  the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation ¹⁵⁹  that you are alive, but ¹⁶⁰  in reality ¹⁶¹  you are dead. 3:2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about ¹⁶²  to die, because I have not found your deeds complete ¹⁶³  in the sight ¹⁶⁴  of my God. 3:3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, ¹⁶⁵  and obey it, ¹⁶⁶  and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never ¹⁶⁷  know at what hour I will come against ¹⁶⁸  you. 3:4 But you have a few individuals ¹⁶⁹  in Sardis who have not stained ¹⁷⁰  their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed ¹⁷¹  in white, because they are worthy. 3:5 The one who conquers ¹⁷²  will be dressed like them ¹⁷³  in white clothing, ¹⁷⁴  and I will never ¹⁷⁵  erase ¹⁷⁶  his name from the book of life, but ¹⁷⁷  will declare ¹⁷⁸  his name before my Father and before his angels. 3:6 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:7 “To ¹⁷⁹  the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following: ¹⁸⁰ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹⁸¹  the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors ¹⁸²  no one can shut, and shuts doors ¹⁸³  no one can open: 3:8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put ¹⁸⁴  in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) ¹⁸⁵  I know ¹⁸⁶  that you have little strength, ¹⁸⁷  but ¹⁸⁸  you have obeyed ¹⁸⁹  my word and have not denied my name. 3:9 Listen! ¹⁹⁰  I am going to make those people from the synagogue ¹⁹¹  of Satan – who say they are Jews yet ¹⁹²  are not, but are lying – Look, I will make ¹⁹³  them come and bow down ¹⁹⁴  at your feet and acknowledge ¹⁹⁵  that I have loved you. 3:10 Because you have kept ¹⁹⁶  my admonition ¹⁹⁷  to endure steadfastly, ¹⁹⁸  I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away ¹⁹⁹  your crown. ²⁰⁰  3:12 The one who conquers ²⁰¹  I will make ²⁰²  a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I ²⁰³  will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), ²⁰⁴  and my new name as well. 3:13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:14 “To ²⁰⁵  the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: ²⁰⁶ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ²⁰⁷  the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator ²⁰⁸  of God’s creation: 3:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. ²⁰⁹  I wish you were either cold or hot! 3:16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going ²¹⁰  to vomit ²¹¹  you out of my mouth! 3:17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, ²¹²  and need nothing,” but ²¹³  do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, ²¹⁴  poor, blind, and naked, 3:18 take my advice ²¹⁵  and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me ²¹⁶  white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness ²¹⁷  will not be exposed, and buy eye salve ²¹⁸  to put on your eyes so you can see! 3:19 All those ²¹⁹  I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! 3:20 Listen! ²²⁰  I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home ²²¹  and share a meal with him, and he with me. 3:21 I will grant the one ²²²  who conquers ²²³  permission ²²⁴  to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered ²²⁵  and sat down with my Father on his throne. 3:22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

4:1 After these things I looked, and there was ²²⁶  a door standing open in heaven! ²²⁷  And the first voice I had heard speaking to me ²²⁸  like a trumpet ²²⁹  said: “Come up here so that ²³⁰  I can show you what must happen after these things.” 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, ²³¹  and ²³²  a throne was standing ²³³  in heaven with someone seated on it! 4:3 And the one seated on it was like jasper ²³⁴  and carnelian ²³⁵  in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald ²³⁶  encircled the throne. 4:4 In ²³⁷  a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were ²³⁸  dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns ²³⁹  on their heads. 4:5 From ²⁴⁰  the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring ²⁴¹  and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, ²⁴²  were burning in front of the throne 4:6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. ²⁴³ 

In ²⁴⁴  the middle of the throne ²⁴⁵  and around the throne were four living creatures ²⁴⁶  full of eyes in front and in back. 4:7 The ²⁴⁷  first living creature was like a lion, the ²⁴⁸  second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 4:8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings ²⁴⁹  and was full of eyes all around and inside. ²⁵⁰  They never rest day or night, saying: ²⁵¹ 

“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, ²⁵² 

Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”

4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, ²⁵³  and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 4:10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground ²⁵⁴  before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns ²⁵⁵  before his ²⁵⁶  throne, saying:

4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

since you created all things,

and because of your will they existed and were created!” ²⁵⁷ 

5:1 Then ²⁵⁸  I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back ²⁵⁹  and sealed with seven seals. ²⁶⁰  5:2 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 5:3 But ²⁶¹  no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. 5:4 So ²⁶²  I began weeping bitterly ²⁶³  because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5:5 Then ²⁶⁴  one of the elders said ²⁶⁵  to me, “Stop weeping! ²⁶⁶  Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; ²⁶⁷  thus he can open ²⁶⁸  the scroll and its seven seals.”

5:6 Then ²⁶⁹  I saw standing in the middle of the throne ²⁷⁰  and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. ²⁷¹  He had ²⁷²  seven horns and seven eyes, which ²⁷³  are the seven ²⁷⁴  spirits of God ²⁷⁵  sent out into all the earth. 5:7 Then ²⁷⁶  he came and took the scroll ²⁷⁷  from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne, 5:8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground ²⁷⁸  before the Lamb. Each ²⁷⁹  of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). ²⁸⁰  5:9 They were singing a new song: ²⁸¹ 

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals

because you were killed, ²⁸² 

and at the cost of your own blood ²⁸³  you have purchased ²⁸⁴  for God

persons ²⁸⁵  from every tribe, language, ²⁸⁶  people, and nation.

5:10 You have appointed ²⁸⁷  them ²⁸⁸  as a kingdom and priests ²⁸⁹  to serve ²⁹⁰  our God, and they will reign ²⁹¹  on the earth.”

5:11 Then ²⁹²  I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their ²⁹³  number was ten thousand times ten thousand ²⁹⁴  – thousands times thousands – 5:12 all of whom ²⁹⁵  were singing ²⁹⁶  in a loud voice:

“Worthy is the lamb who was killed ²⁹⁷ 

to receive power and wealth

and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and praise!”

5:13 Then ²⁹⁸  I heard every creature – in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them – singing: ²⁹⁹ 

“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power ³⁰⁰  forever and ever!”

5:14 And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground ³⁰¹  and worshiped.

6:1 I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, ³⁰²  “Come!” ³⁰³  6:2 So ³⁰⁴  I looked, ³⁰⁵  and here came ³⁰⁶  a white horse! The ³⁰⁷  one who rode it ³⁰⁸  had a bow, and he was given a crown, ³⁰⁹  and as a conqueror ³¹⁰  he rode out to conquer.

6:3 Then ³¹¹  when the Lamb ³¹²  opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” 6:4 And another horse, fiery red, ³¹³  came out, and the one who rode it ³¹⁴  was granted permission ³¹⁵  to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher ³¹⁶  one another, and he was given a huge sword.

6:5 Then ³¹⁷  when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So ³¹⁸  I looked, ³¹⁹  and here came ³²⁰  a black horse! The ³²¹  one who rode it ³²²  had a balance scale ³²³  in his hand. 6:6 Then ³²⁴  I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart ³²⁵  of wheat will cost a day’s pay ³²⁶  and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But ³²⁷  do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

6:7 Then ³²⁸  when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” 6:8 So ³²⁹  I looked ³³⁰  and here came ³³¹  a pale green ³³²  horse! The ³³³  name of the one who rode it ³³⁴  was Death, and Hades followed right behind. ³³⁵  They ³³⁶  were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, ³³⁷  famine, and disease, ³³⁸  and by the wild animals of the earth.

6:9 Now ³³⁹  when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed ³⁴⁰  because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given. 6:10 They ³⁴¹  cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴²  “How long, ³⁴³  Sovereign Master, ³⁴⁴  holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” 6:11 Each ³⁴⁵  of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached ³⁴⁶  of both their fellow servants ³⁴⁷  and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.

6:12 Then ³⁴⁸  I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge ³⁴⁹  earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, ³⁵⁰  and the full moon became blood red; ³⁵¹  6:13 and the stars in the sky ³⁵²  fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping ³⁵³  its unripe figs ³⁵⁴  when shaken by a fierce ³⁵⁵  wind. 6:14 The sky ³⁵⁶  was split apart ³⁵⁷  like a scroll being rolled up, ³⁵⁸  and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 6:15 Then ³⁵⁹  the kings of the earth, the ³⁶⁰  very important people, the generals, ³⁶¹  the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave ³⁶²  and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 6:16 They ³⁶³  said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ³⁶⁴  6:17 because the great day of their ³⁶⁵  wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” ³⁶⁶ 

7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so no wind could blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 7:2 Then ³⁶⁷  I saw another angel ascending from the east, ³⁶⁸  who had ³⁶⁹  the seal ³⁷⁰  of the living God. He ³⁷¹  shouted out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given permission ³⁷²  to damage the earth and the sea: ³⁷³  7:3 “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants ³⁷⁴  of our God.” 7:4 Now ³⁷⁵  I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal, ³⁷⁶  one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from all ³⁷⁷  the tribes of the people of Israel: ³⁷⁸ 

7:5 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,

7:6 from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand,

7:7 from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand,

7:8 from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

7:9 After these things I looked, and here was ³⁷⁹  an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, ³⁸⁰  people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 7:10 They were shouting out in a loud voice,

“Salvation belongs to our God, ³⁸¹ 

to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

7:11 And all the angels stood ³⁸²  there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground ³⁸³  before the throne and worshiped God, 7:12 saying,

“Amen! Praise and glory,

and wisdom and thanksgiving,

and honor and power and strength

be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

7:13 Then ³⁸⁴  one of the elders asked ³⁸⁵  me, “These dressed in long white robes – who are they and where have they come from?” 7:14 So ³⁸⁶  I said to him, “My lord, you know the answer.” ³⁸⁷  Then ³⁸⁸  he said to me, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They ³⁸⁹  have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! 7:15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve ³⁹⁰  him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. ³⁹¹  7:16 They will never go hungry or be thirsty again, and the sun will not beat down on them, nor any burning heat, ³⁹²  7:17 because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” ³⁹³