1 “ Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Ephesus: ‘The One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and the One Who walks among the seven lights made of gold, says this:

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

2 I know what you have done and how hard you have worked. I know how long you can wait and not give up. I know that you cannot put up with sinful men. I know that you have put men to the test who call themselves missionaries. You have found they are not missionaries but are false.

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

3 Y ou have waited long and have not given up. You have suffered because of Me. You have kept going on and have not become tired.

and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

4 B ut I have this one thing against you. You do not love Me as you did at first.

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

5 R emember how you once loved Me. Be sorry for your sin and love Me again as you did at first. If you do not, I will come to you and take your light out of its place. I will do this unless you are sorry for your sin and turn from it.

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

6 B ut you have this: You hate what the Nicolaitans do. I hate what they do also.

But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Y ou have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the fruit of the tree of life in the garden of God to everyone who has power and wins.’ Words to the Church in Smyrna

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ The Persecuted Church

8 “ Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Smyrna: ‘The One Who is First and Last, the One Who died and came to life again, says this:

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:

9 I know of your troubles. I know you are poor. But still you are rich! I know the bad things spoken against you by those who say they are Jews. But they are not Jews. They belong to the devil.

“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

10 D o not be afraid of what you will suffer. Listen! The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will be in trouble for ten days. Be faithful even to death. Then I will give you the crown of life.

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 Y ou have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The person who has power and wins will not be hurt by the second death!’ Words to the Church in Pergamum

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’ The Compromising Church

12 “ Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Pergamum: ‘The One Who has the sharp sword that cuts both ways, says this:

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:

13 I know where you live. It is the place where Satan sits. I know that you are true to Me. You did not give up and turn away from your faith in Me, even when Antipas was killed. He was faithful in speaking for Me. He was killed in front of you where Satan is.

“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

14 B ut I have a few things against you. You have some people who follow the teaching of Balaam. He taught Balak to set a trap for the Jews. He taught them to eat food that had been given as a gift in worship to false gods and to do sex sins.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

15 Y ou also have some who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans in the same way.

Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

16 B e sorry for your sins and turn from them. If you do not, I will come to you right away. I will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

17 Y ou have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the hidden bread from heaven to everyone who has power and wins. I will give each of them a white stone also. A new name will be written on it. No one will know the name except the one who receives it!’ Words to the Church in Thyatira

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it. ”’ The Corrupt Church

18 “ Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Thyatira: ‘The Son of God Who has eyes like fire and Whose feet are like shining brass, says this:

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:

19 I know what you are doing. I know of your love and faith. I know how you have worked and how you have waited long and have not given up. I know that you are working harder now than you did at first.

“I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.

20 B ut I have this against you: You are allowing Jezebel who calls herself a preacher to teach my servants. She is leading them in the wrong way and they are doing sex sins. And they are eating food that has been given as a gift in worship to false gods.

Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

21 I gave her time to be sorry for her sins and turn from them. She does not want to turn from her sex sins.

And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.

22 S ee! I will throw her on a bed. Those who do sex sins with her will suffer much trouble and pain. I will let them suffer unless they are sorry for the sins they have done with her and turn from them.

Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.

23 A nd I will kill her children. All the churches will know that I am the One Who looks deep into the hearts and minds. I will give you whatever is coming to you because of your work.

I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

24 B ut the rest of you there in the city of Thyatira have not followed this false teaching. You have not learned what they call the secrets of Satan. So I will put no other load on you.

“Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.

25 B ut hold on to what you have until I come.

But hold fast what you have till I come.

26 T o the one who has power and wins and does what I want him to do, I will give the right and the power over the nations.

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

27 H e will be leader over them using a piece of iron. And they will be broken in pieces like pots of clay. My Father has given Me this right and power.

‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ — as I also have received from My Father;

28 A nd I will give him the Morning Star.

and I will give him the morning star.

29 Y ou have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!’

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’