“To ¹  the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: ²  “This is the solemn pronouncement of ³  the one who holds ⁴  the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation ⁵  that you are alive, but ⁶  in reality ⁷  you are dead.

saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches – to Ephesus, ¹  Smyrna, ²  Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, ¹  “Come!” ² 

Then ¹  I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back ²  and sealed with seven seals. ³ 

He held ¹  seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His ²  face shone like the sun shining at full strength.

Then ¹  one of the elders said ²  to me, “Stop weeping! ³  Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; ⁴  thus he can open ⁵  the scroll and its seven seals.”

Just then ¹  a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people ²  were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Then ¹  I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It ²  had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, ³  and on its heads a blasphemous name. ⁴ 

So ¹  he carried me away in the Spirit ²  to a wilderness, ³  and there ⁴  I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

But ¹  the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret ²  for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her.

five have fallen; one is, ¹  and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time.

and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man. ¹  He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden belt ²  around his chest.

Then ¹  the angel ²  said to me, “These words are reliable ³  and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants ⁴  what must happen soon.”