THE TIME IS NEAR

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithfulH and true.ab The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets,I has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”ac

7 “Look, I am coming soon!ad Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”ae

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”af

10 Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.ag 11 Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy still be filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; let the holy still be holy.”ah

12 “Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with meai to repay each person according to his work.aj 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,ak the first and the last,al the beginning and the end.am

14 “Blessedan are those who wash their robes,J so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs,a the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.b