Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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1 This book is the record of the
events that Jesus Christ revealed.
God gave him this revelation
in order to show to his servants
what must happen very soon. Christ
made these things known to his
servant John by sending his angel to
him,
2 and John has told all that he
has seen. This is his report concerning
the message from God and the
truth revealed by Jesus Christ.
3 Happy is the one who reads this
book, and happy are those who listen
to the words of this prophetic
message and obey what is written in
this book! For the time is near when
all these things will happen.
Greetings to the Seven Churches
4 From John to the seven churches
in the province of Asia:
-- --
4 Grace and peace be yours from
God, who is, who was, and who is to
come, and from the seven spirits in
front of his throne, note
5 and from Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born
Son, who was raised from
death and who is also the ruler of the
kings of the world.
5 He loves us, and by his sacrificial
death he has freed us from our sins note
6 and made us a kingdom of priests
to serve his God and Father. To
Jesus Christ be the glory and power
forever and ever! Amen. note
7 Look, he is coming on the
clouds! Everyone will see him, including
those who pierced him. All
peoples on earth will mourn over
him. So shall it be! note
8 “I am the first and the last,” says
the Lord God Almighty, who is, who
was, and who is to come. note
A Vision of Christ
9 I am John, your brother, and as a
follower of Jesus I am your partner
in patiently enduring the suffering
that comes to those who belong to
his Kingdom. I was put on the island
of Patmos because I had proclaimed
God's word and the truth that Jesus
revealed.
10 On the Lord's day the
Spirit took control of me, and I
heard a loud voice, that sounded like
a trumpet, speaking behind me.
11 It
said, “Write down what you see, and
send the book to the churches in
these seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia,
and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see who was
talking to me, and I saw seven gold
lampstands,
13 and among them
there was what looked like a human
being, wearing a robe that reached
to his feet, and a gold band around
his chest. note
14 His hair was white as
wool, or as snow, and his eyes
blazed like fire; note
15 his feet shone like
brass that has been refined and polished,
and his voice sounded like a
roaring waterfall. note note
16 He held seven
stars in his right hand, and a sharp
two-edged sword came out of his
mouth. His face was as bright as the
midday sun.
17 When I saw him, I fell
down at his feet like a dead man. He
placed his right hand on me and
said, “Don't be afraid! I am the first
and the last. note
18 I am the living one! I
was dead, but now I am alive forever
and ever. I have authority over death
and the world of the dead.
19 Write,
then, the things you see, both the
things that are now and the things
that will happen afterward.
20 Here is
the secret meaning of the seven
stars that you see in my right hand,
and of the seven gold lampstands:
the seven stars are the angels of the
seven churches, and the seven lampstands
are the seven churches.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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