| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, | 1The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly take place. He sent it and signified it through His angel to His slave John, |
| 2who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. | 2who testified to God's word and to the testimony about Jesus Christ, in all he saw. |
| 3Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. | 3The one who reads this is blessed, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it are blessed, because the time is near! |
| 4John, to the seven churches which 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, | 4John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who was, and who is coming; from the seven spirits before His throne; |
| 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, | 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, |
| 6and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. | 6and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--the glory and dominion are His forever and ever. Amen. |
| 7Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. | 7Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him. And all the families of the earth will mourn over Him. This is certain. Amen." |
| 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” | 8I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty." |
| 9I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. | 9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God's word and the testimony about Jesus. |
| 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, | 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet |
| 11saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” | 11saying, "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." |
| 12Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, | 12I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands, |
| 13and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. | 13and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe and with a gold sash wrapped around His chest. |
| 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; | 14His head and hair were white like wool--white as snow--and His eyes like a fiery flame. |
| 15His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; | 15His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of cascading waters. |
| 16He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. | 16He had seven stars in His right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth, and His face was shining like the sun at midday. |
| 17And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. | 17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last, |
| 18I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. | 18and the Living One. I was dead, but look--I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. |
| 19Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. | 19Therefore write what you have seen, what is, and what will take place after this. |
| 20The mystery of the seven stars which 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 which you saw are the seven churches. | 20The secret of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven gold lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. |
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