| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, | 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, |
| 2who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. | 2who then testified to everything that he saw concerning the word of God and the testimony about Jesus Christ. |
| 3Blessed 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, for the time is near. | 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! |
| 4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, | 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, |
| 5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood | 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 |
| 6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. | 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. |
| 7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. 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.) |
| 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who 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 still to come--the All-Powerful! |
| 9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. | 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. |
| 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet | 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, |
| 11saying, “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.” | 11saying: "Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches--to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." |
| 12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, | 12I turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, and when I did so, I saw seven golden lampstands, |
| 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. | 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. |
| 14The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, | 14His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame. |
| 15his feet were like burnished 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 was like the roar of many waters. |
| 16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. | 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. |
| 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, | 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, |
| 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. | 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! |
| 19Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. | 19Therefore write what you saw, what is, and what will be after these things. |
| 20As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in 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. | 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. |
|
