Happy is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein. For the time is at hand.

John, to the seven congregations in Asia. Grace be with you and peace, from him which is and which was, and which is to come: and from the seven spirits which are present before his throne,

[It is also] from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness [to the truth], the Firstborn from the dead [i.e., the first One raised never to die again], the Ruler of the kings of the world. May there be honor and power forever and ever to Christ, who loved us and released us from our sins by His blood [Note: Some manuscripts say "washed us" since the two words are spelled almost alike].

"I am the Alpha and the Omega" [Note: These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and indicate "the beginning and the end" See 21:6], says the Lord God Almighty, who is [in the present], and who was [in the past] and who will come [in the future].

I John, your brother and partaker with you in tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. That thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the congregations which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."

Write therefore the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be fulfilled hereafter;

and the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the messengers of the seven congregations: And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven congregations.

To the angel of the Church in Ephesus, write. These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, and who walks among the seven golden candlesticks.

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not forbear them which are evil: and examinedst them which say they are apostles, and are not: and hast found them liars.

You are holding fast, and have borne up for my name's sake, and have not grown weary.

But I have this against you, that you are turned away from your first love.

So keep in mind where you were at first, and be changed in heart and do the first works; or I will come to you, and will take away your light from its place, if your hearts are not changed.

But you have it to your credit that you hate what the Nicolaitans are doing, as I do too.

And unto the angel of the Church in Smyrna, write. These are the words of the First and the Last, he who died and has returned to life.

I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich. And I know the blasphemy of them which call themselves Jews and are not, but are the congregation of Satan.

Fear none of the things that thou are going to suffer. Behold, the devil is indeed going to cast some of you into prison, so that ye may be tried, and ye will have tribulation ten days. Become thou faithful until death, and I will

And to the angel of the Church in Pergamum, write These are the words of Him who holds the sharp two-edged sword.

I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is; and yet you are holding fast my name, and you have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was slain among you, where Satan has his dwelling.

Yet I hold it somewhat against you that you have among you some who are clinging to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap for the children of Israel, to entice them to eat the meat that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit immoral practices.

And you also have among you some who are clinging to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

"And unto the messenger of the congregation of Thyatira write, 'This saith the son of God, which hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, whose feet are like brass:

I know thy works and thy love, service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy deeds, which are more at the last than at the first.

But I have this against you, that you are tolerating that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she is teaching and leading my slaves astray, leading them to practise immorality, and to eat food which has been sacrificed to idols.

Lo! I cast her into a bed, and them who are committing adultery with her, into great tribulation, - except they repent out of her works;

But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.

and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:

And write unto the messenger of the congregation of Sardis, 'This saith he that hath the spirit of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works, thou hast a name that you livest, and thou are dead.

Be awake, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. For I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Call to mind, then, what you have received and heard, and hold to it, and repent. Unless you are on the watch, I will come as a thief, and you will never know at what hour I am coming upon you.

Thou hast a few names in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

“And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Philadelphia write:

“These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key [to the house] of David, He who opens and no one will [be able to] shut, and He who shuts and no one opens:

"I know what you are doing. See! I have put before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have but little strength, and yet you have obeyed my message and you have not disowned my name.

Behold, I make them of the congregation of Satan - which call themselves Jews and are not, but do lie -Behold, I will make them that they shall come and worship before thy feet: and shall know that I love thee.

Because you have kept my word in quiet strength, I will keep you from the hour of testing which is coming on all the world, to put to the test those who are on earth.

“To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Laodicea write:

“These are the words of the Amen, the trusted and faithful and true Witness, the Beginning and Origin of God’s creation:

I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot. O that thou were cold or hot.

So because thou are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spew thee out of my mouth.

Because thou say, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that thou are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

If you are wise you will get from me gold tested by fire, so that you may have true wealth; and white robes to put on, so that your shame may not be seen; and oil for your eyes, so that you may see.

To all those who are dear to me, I give sharp words and punishment: then with all your heart have sorrow for your evil ways.

After these things I saw a door open in heaven, and the first voice came to my ears, like the sound of a horn, saying, Come up here, and I will make clear to you the things which are to come.

And around the throne are thrones twenty and four, and upon the thrones I saw the twenty and four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and they had upon their heads crowns of gold;

And out of the seat proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire, burning before the seat, which are the seven spirits of God.

And in front of the throne as it seemed, a glassy sea like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and encircling it are four Living Creatures, full of eyes before and behind.

and the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.

And while the living creatures are giving glory, and honor, and thanks to him who sits upon the throne, who lives for ever and ever,

"Thou art worthy, Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy will's sake they are, and were created."

And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the seat and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as though he had been killed, which had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the spirits of God, sent into all the world.

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and twenty four elders fell down before the lamb, having harps and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints,

And they sing a new song, saying, Thou are worthy to take the book and to open the seals of it, because thou were killed and purchased us from God by thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

And have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are ruling on the earth.

And all creatures, which are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and all that are in them heard I, saying, "Blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the seat, and unto the lamb for evermore."

They cried in a loud voice--'How long, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, before thou wilt give judgment and avenge our blood upon all who are living upon the earth?'

and there was given to each one white robes, and it was said to them that they may rest themselves yet a little time, till may be fulfilled also their fellow-servants and their brethren, who are about to be killed -- even as they.

and they are crying to the mountains and the rocks-- 'Fall upon us, and hide us from the eyes of him who is seated on the throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb,

And they are crying in a loud voice-- ' Salvation be ascribed to our God who is seated on his throne and to the Lamb.'

saying, 'Amen! the blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength, are to our God -- to the ages of the ages! Amen!'

And one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these who are clothed in white robes, and where did they come from?

And I said to him, My lord, thou know. And he said to me, These are those coming out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Because of this they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them.

Then I saw the seven angels who are in the presence of God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

And the seven messengers who are having the seven trumpets did prepare themselves that they may sound;

and die did the third of the creatures that are in the sea, those having life, and the third of the ships were destroyed.

And I looked, and I heard one eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying in a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on the earth from the remaining sounds of the trumpet of the three agents who are going to sound.

And the likenesses of the locusts are like to horses made ready to battle, and upon their heads as crowns like gold, and their faces as faces of men,

"The first woe has passed; and still there are two woes to follow."

saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, "Loose the four angels, which are bound in the great river Euphrates."

And the four angels were loosed, who are prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they might slay the third part of men;

And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sit on them having breastplates fiery red, and of hyacinth color, and sulphurous. And the heads of the horses are like heads of lions, and out of their mouths come fire and smo

For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails. For their tails are similar to serpents, having heads, and by them they injure.

The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which are not able to see, hear, or walk.

and swore by him that liveth forevermore, which created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which therein are; that there should be no longer time:

Moreover at the time when the seventh angel shall speak, when he is ready to blow his blast, then the hidden purposes of God, of which he told the good news to his servants, the Prophets, are at once fulfilled.

And they said to me, You are to give word again of what is coming in the future to the peoples and nations and languages and kings.

And there was given me a reed like to a rod, and a voice said to me. "Go and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who are worshiping therein.

These men are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, having stood before the Lord of the earth.

And if any man would do them damage, fire comes out of their mouth and puts an end to those who are working against them: and if any man has a desire to do them damage, in this way will he be put to death.

These have the power to keep the heaven shut, so that there may be no rain in the days when they are prophets: and they have power over the waters to make them into blood, and to send every sort of disease on the earth as their pleasure is.

And their corpses are in the thoroughfare of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

"And those who dwell on the earth are rejoicing over them, and making merry; and they will send gifts to one another; because these two prophets were a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

And the seventh angel blew, and there were made great voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign for evermore."

Then the four and twenty Elders who are seated before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshiped God,

We give you praise, O Lord God, Ruler of all, who is and who was; because you have taken up your great power and are ruling your kingdom.

The nations raged, and thy wrath came, And the time for the dead to be judged; The time for rewarding thy slaves, the prophets And the saints, and those who reverence thy name, Both small and great; And the time to destroy those who are destroying the earth."

then I heard a loud voice, which cry'd in the heaven, "the time of salvation, and power, the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ are now come: for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, is cast down.

Be glad then, O heavens, and you who are in them. But there is trouble for the earth and the sea: because the Evil One has come down to you, being very angry, having the knowledge that he has but a short time.

And his mouth was open to say evil against God, and against his name and his Tent, even against those who are in heaven.

and all that dwell upon the earth worshipped him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the lamb, which was killed from the beginning of the world.

And he makes use of all the authority of the first beast before his eyes. And he makes the earth and those who are in it give worship to the first beast, whose death-wound was made well.

And those who are on the earth are turned from the true way by him through the signs which he was given power to do before the beast; giving orders to those who are on the earth to make an image to the beast, who was wounded by the sword, and came to life.

And he gives to all, small and great, the poor and those who have wealth, the free and those who are not free, a mark on their right hand or on their brows;

Now for the gift of interpretation! Let the discerning calculate the cipher of the Beast; it is the cipher of a man, and the figures are six hundred and sixty-six.

They are singing what seems to be a new song, before the throne, and before the four Creatures and the Councillors; and no one was able to learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from earth.

These are men who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were out of men purchased by Jesus, a first fruit to God and to the Lamb.

And no lie was found in their mouth, for they are unblemished.

And I saw another angel in flight between heaven and earth, having eternal good news to give to those who are on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people,

and the smoke of their torment doth go up to ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name.

Here is the perseverance of the sanctified. Here are those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in Lord from henceforth. Yea, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their toils, and their works follow with them.