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 round 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 belt round his chest.
14. His hair was white as wool, or as snow, and his eyes blazed like fire;
15. his feet shone like brass that has been refined and polished, and his voice sounded like a roaring waterfall.
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.
18. I am the living one! I was dead, but now I am alive for ever and ever. I have authority over death and the world of the dead.