New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
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The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him so that his servants might have knowledge of the things which will quickly take place: and he sent and made it clear by his angel to his servant John;
2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
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Who gave witness of the word of God, and of the witness of Jesus Christ, even of all the things which he saw.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.
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A blessing be on the reader, and on those who give ear to the prophet's words, and keep the things which he has put in the book: for the time is near.
4 John 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,
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John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and was and is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his high seat;
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,
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And from Jesus Christ, the true witness, the first to come back from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who had love for us and has made us clean from our sins by his blood;
6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to his God and Father; to him let glory and power be given for ever and ever. So be it.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.
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See, he comes with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those by whom he was wounded; and all the tribes of the earth will be sorrowing because of him. Yes, so be it.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
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I am the First and the Last, says the Lord God who is and was and is to come, the Ruler of all.
9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
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I, John, your brother, who have a part with you in the trouble and the kingdom and the quiet strength of Jesus, was in the island which is named Patmos, for the word of God and the witness of Jesus.
10 I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
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I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and a great voice at my back, as of a horn, came to my ears,
11 saying, "Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
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Saying, What you see, put in a book, and send it to the seven churches; to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.
12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
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And turning to see the voice which said these words to me, I saw seven gold vessels with lights burning in them;
13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest.
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And in the middle of them one like a son of man, clothed with a robe down to his feet, and with a band of gold round his breasts.
14 His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire,
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And his head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters.
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And his feet like polished brass, as if it had been burned in a fire; and his voice was as the sound of great waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.
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And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword: and his face was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
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And when I saw him, I went down on my face at his feet as one dead. And he put his right hand on me, saying, Have no fear; I am the first and the last and the Living one;
18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
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And I was dead, and see, I am living for ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hell.
19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this.
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Put in writing, then, the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will be after these;
20 As 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.
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The secret of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold vessels with burning lights. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven lights are the seven churches.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.