| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must happen very soon. He made it clear by sending his angel to his servant John, | 1This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, |
| 2who then testified to everything that he saw concerning the word of God and the testimony about Jesus Christ. | 2who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. |
| 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near! | 3God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. John’s Greeting to the Seven Churches |
| 4From John, to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from "he who is," and who was, and who is still to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, | 4This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; |
| 5and from Jesus Christ--the faithful witness, 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 from our sins at the cost of his own blood | 5and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. |
| 6and has appointed us as a kingdom, as priests serving his God and Father--to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! Amen. | 6He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. |
| 7(Look! He is returning with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes on the earth will mourn because of him. This will certainly come to pass! Amen.) | 7Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen! |
| 8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God--the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come--the All-Powerful! | 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” Vision of the Son of Man |
| 9I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. | 9I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. |
| 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, | 10It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. |
| 11saying: "Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches--to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." | 11It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” |
| 12I turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, and when I did so, I saw seven golden lampstands, | 12When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. |
| 13and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man. He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden belt around his chest. | 13And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. |
| 14His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame. | 14His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. |
| 15His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. | 15His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. |
| 16He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His face shone like the sun shining at full strength. | 16He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. |
| 17When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, | 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. |
| 18and the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive--forever and ever--and I hold the keys of death and of Hades! | 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. |
| 19Therefore write what you saw, what is, and what will be after these things. | 19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. |
| 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. | 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. |
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