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The Message to Ephesus

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:

“I know your works, your toil and your endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them to be false.(A) I also know that you are enduring and bearing up for the sake of my name and that you have not grown weary.(B) But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember, then, from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.(C)

The Message to Smyrna

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life:(D)

“I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.(E) 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.(F) 11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.(G)

The Message to Pergamum

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:(H)

13 “I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me[a] even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and engage in sexual immorality.[b](I) 15 So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent, then. If not, I will come to you soon and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth.(J) 17 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.(K)

The Message to Thyatira

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze:(L)

19 “I know your works: your love, faith, service, and endurance. I know that your latest works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to engage in sexual immorality[c] and to eat food sacrificed to idols.(M) 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.[d](N) 22 Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.(O) 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ‘the deep things of Satan,’ to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden;(P) 25 only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end,

I will give authority over the nations,(Q)
27 to rule[e] them with an iron scepter,
    as when clay pots are shattered—(R)

28 “even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star.(S) 29 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The Message to Sardis

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:

“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead.(T) Wake up and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard; obey it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.(U) Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.(V) If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not erase your name from the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels.(W) Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The Message to Philadelphia

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of the Holy One, the True One,
    who has the key of David,
    who opens and no one will shut,
        who shuts and no one opens:(X)

“I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door that no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(Y) I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not but are lying—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.(Z) 10 Because you have kept my word of endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.(AA) 11 I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one takes away your crown. 12 If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.(AB) 13 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The Message to Laodicea

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin[f] of God’s creation:(AC)

15 “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.(AD) 18 Therefore I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white robes to clothe yourself and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.(AE) 19 I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.(AF) 20 Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you with me.(AG) 21 To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.(AH) 22 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

Footnotes

  1. 2.13 Or deny my faith
  2. 2.14 Or prostitution
  3. 2.20 Or prostitution
  4. 2.21 Or prostitution
  5. 2.27 Or to shepherd
  6. 3.14 Or beginning

To the Church in Ephesus

“To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus(A) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand(B) and walks among the seven golden lampstands.(C) I know your deeds,(D) your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested(E) those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.(F) You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name,(G) and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.(H) Consider how far you have fallen! Repent(I) and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand(J) from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans,(K) which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear(L) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,(M) I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,(N) which is in the paradise(O) of God.

To the Church in Smyrna

“To the angel of the church in Smyrna(P) write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,(Q) who died and came to life again.(R) I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!(S) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,(T) but are a synagogue of Satan.(U) 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,(V) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.(W) Be faithful,(X) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.(Y)

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear(Z) what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.(AA)

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum(AB) write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.(AC) 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,(AD) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,(AE) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.(AF)

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:(AG) There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam,(AH) who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols(AI) and committed sexual immorality.(AJ) 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.(AK) 16 Repent(AL) therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.(AM)

17 Whoever has ears, let them hear(AN) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,(AO) I will give some of the hidden manna.(AP) I will also give that person a white stone with a new name(AQ) written on it, known only to the one who receives it.(AR)

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira(AS) write:

These are the words of the Son of God,(AT) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.(AU) 19 I know your deeds,(AV) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,(AW) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(AX) 21 I have given her time(AY) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(AZ) 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery(BA) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,(BB) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.(BC)

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,(BD) 25 except to hold on to what you have(BE) until I come.’(BF)

26 To the one who is victorious(BG) and does my will to the end,(BH) I will give authority over the nations(BI) 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter(BJ) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b](BK)—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.(BL) 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear(BM) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Sardis

“To the angel[c] of the church in Sardis(BN) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[d](BO) of God and the seven stars.(BP) I know your deeds;(BQ) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.(BR) Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.(BS) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,(BT) and you will not know at what time(BU) I will come to you.

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.(BV) They will walk with me, dressed in white,(BW) for they are worthy. The one who is victorious(BX) will, like them, be dressed in white.(BY) I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life,(BZ) but will acknowledge that name before my Father(CA) and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear(CB) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia(CC) write:

These are the words of him who is holy(CD) and true,(CE) who holds the key of David.(CF) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds.(CG) See, I have placed before you an open door(CH) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(CI) I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,(CJ) who claim to be Jews though they are not,(CK) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet(CL) and acknowledge that I have loved you.(CM) 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you(CN) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world(CO) to test(CP) the inhabitants of the earth.(CQ)

11 I am coming soon.(CR) Hold on to what you have,(CS) so that no one will take your crown.(CT) 12 The one who is victorious(CU) I will make a pillar(CV) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God(CW) and the name of the city of my God,(CX) the new Jerusalem,(CY) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear(CZ) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea(DA) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,(DB) the ruler of God’s creation.(DC) 15 I know your deeds,(DD) that you are neither cold nor hot.(DE) I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’(DF) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.(DG) 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,(DH) so you can become rich; and white clothes(DI) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;(DJ) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.(DK) So be earnest and repent.(DL) 20 Here I am! I stand at the door(DM) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,(DN) I will come in(DO) and eat with that person, and they with me.

21 To the one who is victorious,(DP) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,(DQ) just as I was victorious(DR) and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear(DS) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18
  2. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9
  3. Revelation 3:1 Or messenger; also in verses 7 and 14
  4. Revelation 3:1 That is, the sevenfold Spirit