Revelation · Chapter 1

[ edit] Apocalipſis, or reuelacioun, of Jheſu Criſt, þe whiche God ȝaf to him for to make opyn to his ſeruauntis, whiche þingis it bihoueþ to be maad ſoone. And he ſignyfiede, ſending bi his aungel to his ſeruaunt Joon, þe whiche bar witneſſing to þe word of God, and witneſſing of Jheſu Criſt, in þes þingis, what euere þinges he ſiȝe. Bleſſid he þat rediþ, and he þat heriþ þe wordis of þis prophecie, and kepiþ þo þingis þat ben writen in it; forſoþe þe tyme is nyȝ.

Joon to ſeuen chirchis, þat ben in Aſye, grace to ȝou, and pees, of him þat is, and þat was, and þat is to comynge; and of þe ſeuen ſpiritis, þat ben in þe ſiȝt of his trone; and of Jheſu Criſt, þat is a feiþful witneſſe, þe firſte bigeten of deede men, and prince of kingis of erþe; þe which louede vs, and waiſchide vs fro oure ſynnes in his blood, and made vs a kingdom, and preſtes to God and to his fadir; to him glory and empire in to worldlis of worldlis. Amen. Lo! he comeþ wiþ clowdis, and ech iȝe ſhal ſee him, and þei þat pungeden, or prickeden, him; and alle þe kynredes, or lynages, of erþe ſhulen weile hem ſilf on him. Ȝhe, Amen!

I am alpha and oo, þe bigynnyng and endyng, ſeiþ þe Lord God, þat is, and þat was, and þat is to comynge, almiȝty. I, Joon, ȝoure broþer, and parcener in tribulacioun, and kingdom, and pacience in Criſt Jheſu, was in an yle, þat is clepid Paþmos, for þe word of God, and witneſſyng of Jheſu. I was in ſpirit in þe Sunday, and I herde aftir me a greet voys, as of a trumpe, ſeiynge, Þat þing þat þou ſeeſt, wrijte in a book, and ſende to þe ſeuene chirchis þat ben in Aſye; to Epheſo, to Smyrma, and Pergamo, and to Tyatira, and Sardo, and Philadelfia, and Loadicia.

And I turnede, þat I ſhulde ſee þe voys þat ſpake wiþ me; and I turned ſiȝe ſeuene candilſtickes of gold, and in þe mydle of þe ſeuene goldun candelſtickis a liche to þe ſone of man, cloþid wiþ a long preſtly clooþ, and bifore gyrd at þe teetis wiþ a golden gyrdel. Soþeli þe heed of him and heeres weren white, as whijt wulle, and as ſnow; and þe iȝen of him as flaume of fijr; and hiſe feet lijke to droſſe of gold, or latoun, as in a brennynge chymeney; and þe voys of him as þe voys of many watris. And he hadde in his riȝþond ſeuen ſterres, and a ſwerd ſharp on boþe ſijdis wente out of his mouþ; and his face ſhijneþ as þe ſunne in his vertu.

And whan I hadde ſeyn hym, I fel doun at his feet, as deed. And he puttide his riȝþond on me, ſeiynge, Nyle þou drede; I am þe firſt and þe laſt; and I am alyue, and I was deed; and lo! I am lyuynge in to worldlis of worldlis, and I haue þe keyes of deeþ and helle. Þerfore wrijte þou whiche þinges þou haſt ſeyn, and whiche ben, and whiche it bihoueþ for to be don aftir þes þinges. Þe myſterie,or priuytee, of ſeuene ſterris, whom þou ſiȝe in my riȝþalf, and þe ſeuen golden candelſtickes; þe ſeuen ſterres ben aungels of ſeuene chirchis, and þe ſeuene candelſtickes ben ſeuene chirches.