The Letter to the Church in Ephesus

¹ “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: “This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand says, the one who walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands:

² ‘I know your works, and your labor and patient endurance, and that you are not able to tolerate evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you found them to be false.

³ And you have patient endurance, and have endured many things because of my name, and have not become weary.

⁴ But I have this against you: that you have left your first love.

⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do ⌞the works you did at first⌟¹. But if you do not, I am coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

1. Literally “the first works”

⁶ But you do have this: that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, things which I also hate.

⁷ The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will grant to him to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.’

The Letter to the Church in Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “This is what the first and the last says, who was dead and came to life:

⁹ ‘I know your affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those ⌞who call themselves Jews⌟¹ and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

1. Literally “who say themselves to be Jews”

¹⁰ Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will experience affliction ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹ The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.’

The Letter to the Church in Pergamum

¹² “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: “This is what the one who has the sharp double-edged sword says:

¹³ ‘I know where you live, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast to my name and did not deny your¹ faith in me, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.

1. *Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: that you have there those who hold fast to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

¹⁵ So likewise you also have those who hold fast to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

¹⁶ Therefore repent! But if you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword from my mouth.

¹⁷ The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give to him some of the hidden manna, and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

The Letter to the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: “This is what the Son of God says, the one who has his eyes like a fiery flame and his feet like fine bronze:

¹⁹ ‘I know your works, and your love, and faith, and service, and patient endurance—and your last works are greater than the first.

²⁰ But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives my slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

²¹ And I have given her time in order to repent, and she did not want to repent from her sexual immorality.

²² Behold, I am throwing her into a sickbed and those who committed adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent from her deeds.

²³ And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

²⁴ But I say to you, to the rest who are in Thyatira, all those who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they say, I do not put upon you any other burden.

²⁵ Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come.

²⁶ And the one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations,

²⁷ and “he will shepherd them with an iron rod; he will break them in pieces like jars made of clay,”¹

1. A quotation from Ps 2:9

²⁸ as I also have received from my Father, and I will give him the morning star.

²⁹ The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’