and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead, and the prince over the kings of earth; to him who loves us and has loosed us from our sins by shedding his blood —
Also, he is the head of the Body, that is, of the church, in virtue of his primacy as the first to be born from the dead — that gives him pre-eminence over all.
Then to the angel of the church at Philadelphia write thus: — These are the words of the true Holy One, who holds the key of David, who opens and none shall shut, who shuts and none shall open.
Then he said, "All is over! I am the alpha and the omega, the First and the Last. I will let the thirsty drink of the fountain of the water of Life without price.
"Write your vision in a book, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea."
To the angel of the church at Ephesus write thus: — These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who moves among the seven golden lampstands:
And when this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans; also, see that you read the letter that reaches you from Laodicea.
Jesus replied to them, "Though I do testify to myself, my evidence is valid, because I know where I have come from and where I am going to — whereas you do not know where I have come from or where I am going to.