^8 (A)“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, ^(B)“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, your brother and ^(C)partner in ^(D)the tribulation and ^(E)the kingdom and ^(F)the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(G)on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ^10 (H)I was in the Spirit ^(I)on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(J)like a trumpet ¹¹ saying, ^(K)“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw ^(L)seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and in the midst of the lampstands ^(M)one like ^(N)a son of man, ^(O)clothed with a long robe and ^(P)with a golden sash around his chest. ^14 (Q)The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. ^(R)His eyes were like a flame of fire, ^15 (S)his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and ^(T)his voice was like the roar of many waters. ^16 (U)In his right hand he held seven stars, ^(V)from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and ^(W)his face was like the sun shining ^(X)in full strength.

^17 (Y)When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But ^(Z)he laid his right hand on me, ^(AA)saying, “Fear not, ^(AB)I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. ^(AC)I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and ^(AD)I have the keys of Death and Hades. ^19 (AE)Write therefore ^(AF)the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.