Revelation 1:9-2:7

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Patmos Vision

^9 (A)I, John, your ^(B)brother and ^(C)fellow partaker in the tribulation and ^(D)kingdom and ^[a](E)perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(F)because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰ I was ^[b](G)in the Spirit on ^(H)the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(I)like the sound of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, “^(J)Write in a ^[c]book what you see, and send it to the ^(K)seven churches: to ^(L)Ephesus and to ^(M)Smyrna and to ^(N)Pergamum and to ^(O)Thyatira and to ^(P)Sardis and to ^(Q)Philadelphia and to ^(R)Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw ^(S)seven golden lampstands; ¹³ and ^(T)in the middle of the lampstands I saw one ^(U)like ^[d]a son of man, ^(V)clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and ^(W)girded across His chest with a golden sash. ¹⁴ His head and His ^(X)hair were white like white wool, like snow; and ^(Y)His eyes were like a flame of fire. ¹⁵ His ^(Z)feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His ^(AA)voice was like the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ In His right hand He held ^(AB)seven stars, and out of His mouth came a ^(AC)sharp two-edged sword; and His ^(AD)face was like ^(AE)the sun ^[e]shining in its strength.

¹⁷ When I saw Him, I ^(AF)fell at His feet like a dead man. And He ^(AG)placed His right hand on me, saying, “^(AH)Do not be afraid; ^(AI)I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the ^(AJ)living One; and I ^[f](AK)was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have ^(AL)the keys of death and of Hades. ¹⁹ Therefore ^(AM)write ^(AN)the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place ^(AO)after these things. ²⁰ As for the ^(AP)mystery of the ^(AQ)seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the ^(AR)seven golden lampstands: the ^(AS)seven stars are the angels of ^(AT)the seven churches, and the seven ^(AU)lampstands are the seven churches.

Message to Ephesus

2 “To the angel of the church in ^(AV)Ephesus write:

The One who holds ^(AW)the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks ^[g](AX)among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

² ‘^(AY)I know your deeds and your toil and ^[h]perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you ^(AZ)put to the test those who call themselves ^(BA)apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; ³ and you have ^[i]perseverance and have endured ^(BB)for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. ⁴ But I have this against you, that you have ^(BC)left your first love. ⁵ Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and ^(BD)repent and ^(BE)do the ^[j]deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your ^(BF)lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. ⁶ Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the ^(BG)Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ^7 (BH)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(BI)To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of ^(BJ)the tree of life which is in the ^(BK)Paradise of God.’