1 God showed these things to Jesus Christ to show to his servants. These are things that must happen soon. Then God sent his angel and showed them to John, his servant.

² John wrote down what God said and what Jesus showed to him. These words tell all that He saw.

³ God will bless the person who reads the words of this book. God will bless those who hear the words of this book and obey the things written in it.

⁴ Here is what John wrote to the people of the seven churches which are in the country of Asia Minor: May God's loving kindness bless you and give you peace. He lives now, he always has lived, and he will come again. May the seven Spirits bless you and give you peace. They stand in front of God's throne [chief chair of a king].

⁵ May Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace. What he says is true. He was the first to rise from death. And he is ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us. By his own blood [death] he has made us free from the wrong things we have done.

⁶ He has made us into kings and priests to his God and Father. Praise him! He is great and has power for ever! Yes, it is so!

⁷ Watch! He will come in the clouds. Every one will see him. Those who stuck a spear in him will also see him. All the tribes on earth will cry when they see him. That is the way it will be. Yes it will!

⁸ The Lord God says, `I am the First and the Last. I am the beginning and the ending. I live now. I always have lived, and I will come again. I have all power.'

⁹ I am John, your brother. I belong to Jesus and I am having big trouble just as you are. I also belong to his kingdom and I wait patiently for it. I was on an island called Patmos because I told the word of God and talked about Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Behind me I heard a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet or horn.

¹¹ The voice said, `Write what you see in a book. Send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.'

¹² I turned to see who was talking to me. I saw seven gold lamps.

¹³ In the centre of the seven lamps I saw someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long gown with a wide, gold belt around his chest.

¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like sheep's hair, white as snow. His eyes shone like a flame of fire.

¹⁵ His feet shone like fine brass that has been made pure by fire. His voice was like the sound of much water flowing.

¹⁶ In his right hand he had seven stars. Out of his mouth came a long knife or sword, sharp on both sides. His face shone like the sun when it is shining very brightly.

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell down in front of him as if I had died. He put his right hand on me and said, `Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

¹⁸ I am he who lives. I died. But look, I am alive for ever. I have the keys to death and to the world of the dead.

¹⁹ So write what you have seen. Write the things that are now and the things that will happen after them.

²⁰ You saw seven stars in my right hand. I will tell you the secret meaning of them and of the seven gold lamps. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The seven lamps are the seven churches.