Prologue
1The revelation from 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, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Greetings and Doxology
4John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”1:7 Daniel 7:13
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”1:7 Zech. 12:10
So shall it be! Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John’s Vision of Christ
9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,1:13 See Daniel 7:13. dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels1:20 Or messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Utangulizi Na Salamu
11:1 Ufu 22:16; Dan 2:28, 29; Yn 12:49; 17:8, 19; Ufu 22:6Ufunuo wa Yesu Kristo aliopewa na Mungu ili awaonyeshe watumishi wake mambo ambayo ni lazima yatukie hivi karibuni. Alijulisha mambo haya kwa kumtuma malaika wake kwa Yohana mtumishi wake, 21:2 1Kor 1:6; Ufu 6:9; Ebr 4:12; Ufu 12:17; 19:10ambaye anashuhudia kuhusu kila kitu alichokiona, yaani, Neno la Mungu na ushuhuda wa Yesu Kristo. 31:3 Lk 11:28; Ufu 22:7; Rum 13:11Amebarikiwa yeye asomaye maneno ya unabii huu, na wamebarikiwa wale wanaoyasikia na kuyatia moyoni yale yaliyoandikwa humo, kwa sababu wakati umekaribia.
Salamu Kwa Makanisa Saba
41:4 Isa 11:2; Rum 1:7; Ufu 4:8; 11:17; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6Yohana, kwa makanisa saba yaliyoko Asia:
Neema na amani iwe kwenu kutoka kwake aliyeko, aliyekuwako na atakayekuja, na kutoka kwa wale roho saba walioko mbele ya kiti chake cha enzi, 51:5 Isa 55:4; Kol 1:18; Ufu 17:14na kutoka kwa Yesu Kristo ambaye ni yule shahidi mwaminifu, mzaliwa wa kwanza kutoka kwa wafu, mtawala wa wafalme wa dunia.
Kwake yeye anayetupenda na ambaye ametuweka huru kutoka dhambi zetu kwa damu yake, 61:6 1Pet 2:5; Rum 11:36akatufanya sisi kuwa ufalme na makuhani, tumtumikie Mungu wake ambaye ni Baba yake. Utukufu na uwezo ni vyake milele na milele! Amen.
71:7 Dan 7:13; Zek 12:10Tazama! Anakuja na mawingu,
na kila jicho litamwona,
hata wale waliomchoma;
na makabila yote duniani
yataomboleza kwa sababu yake.
Naam, ndivyo itakavyokuwa! Amen.
81:8 Ufu 22:6; 4:8; 21:6; 22:13; 15:3; Kut 3:14; Isa 41:4; Ufu 21:6“Mimi ni Alfa na Omega,” asema Bwana Mungu, “aliyeko, aliyekuwako na atakayekuja, Mwenyezi.”
Maono Ya Kristo
91:9 Mdo 14:22; 2Tim 2:12Mimi, Yohana, ndugu yenu ninayeshiriki pamoja nanyi mateso katika Yesu na katika ufalme na uvumilivu katika saburi, nilikuwa katika kisiwa cha Patmo kwa ajili ya neno la Mungu na ushuhuda wa Yesu. 101:10 Ufu 17:3; 3:1Katika siku ya Bwana, nilikuwa katika Roho na nikasikia sauti kubwa kama ya baragumu nyuma yangu 111:11 Ufu 2:8; 22:13; Mdo 18:19; Kol 2:1; Mdo 16:14ikisema, “Andika kwenye kitabu haya yote unayoyaona, kisha uyapeleke kwa makanisa saba, yaani: Efeso, Smirna, Pergamo, Thiatira, Sardi, Filadelfia na Laodikia.”
121:12 Zek 1:2; Ufu 3:1Ndipo nikageuka ili nione ni sauti ya nani iliyokuwa ikisema nami. Nami nilipogeuka, nikaona vinara saba vya taa vya dhahabu, 131:13 Eze 1:26; Ufu 14:14; Dan 10:5; Ufu 15:6na katikati ya vile vinara vya taa, alikuwamo mtu kama Mwana wa Adamu, akiwa amevaa joho refu, na mkanda wa dhahabu ukiwa umefungwa kifuani mwake. 141:14 Dan 7:9; Ufu 19:12Kichwa chake na nywele zake zilikuwa nyeupe kama sufu, nyeupe kama theluji, nayo macho yake yalikuwa kama mwali wa moto. 151:15 Eze 1:7; 43:2; Ufu 2:18; 19:6Nyayo zake zilikuwa kama shaba inayongʼaa, katika tanuru ya moto, nayo sauti yake ilikuwa kama mugurumo ya maji mengi. 161:16 Ufu 3:1; Isa 1:20; Ebr 4:12Katika mkono wake wa kuume alishika nyota saba, na kinywani mwake ulitoka upanga mkali wenye makali kuwili. Uso wake ulikuwa kama jua likingʼaa kwa nguvu zake zote.
171:17 Eze 1:28; Dan 8:17, 18; Isa 48:12; Ufu 22:13Nilipomwona, nilianguka miguuni pake kama aliyekufa. Ndipo akauweka mkono wake wa kuume juu yangu na kusema: “Usiogope, Mimi ndiye wa Kwanza na wa Mwisho. 181:18 Rum 6:9; Kum 32:40; Ufu 9:1Mimi ni Yeye Aliye Hai, niliyekuwa nimekufa, na tazama, ni hai milele na milele! Nami ninazo funguo za mauti na kuzimu.1:18 Kuzimu linalotokana na neno Hades la Kiyunani au Sheol kwa Kiebrania; maana yake ni mahali pa mateso kwa watu waliopotea.
191:19 Ufu 1:11; Hab 2:2“Basi andika mambo uliyoyaona, yaliyopo na yale yatakayotukia baada ya haya. 201:20 Zek 4:2; Mt 5:14, 15Kuhusu siri ya zile nyota saba ulizoziona katika mkono wangu wa kuume na vile vinara saba vya taa vya dhahabu ni hii: Zile nyota saba ni malaika wa yale makanisa saba, navyo vile vinara saba ni hayo makanisa saba.
