The Letters to the Seven Churches

The Letter to Ephesus

2 “Write to the angel^[a] of the church in Ephesus: Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands:^{(A) 2} I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,^(B) and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not,^(C) and you have found them to be liars.^{(D) 3} I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name,^(E) and you have not grown weary. ⁴ But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.^{(F) 5} Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.^(G) Otherwise, I will come to you^[b] and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶ Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give^(H) the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in^[c] the paradise of God.^(I)

The Letter to Smyrna

⁸ “Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last,^(J) the one who was dead and came to life: ⁹ I know your^[d] affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.^{(K) 10} Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil^(L) is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days.^(M) Be faithful to the point of death,^(N) and I will give you the crown^[e] of life.^(O)

¹¹ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.^(P)

The Letter to Pergamum

¹² “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: ^{(Q) 13} I know^[f] where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me,^[g](R) even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness^(S) who was put to death 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,^(T) who taught Balak to place a stumbling block^[h] in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols^(U) and to commit sexual immorality.^{(V) 15} In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.^{[i] 16} So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly^(W) and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.^(X)

¹⁷ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna.^[j](Y) I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name^(Z) is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

The Letter to Thyatira

¹⁸ “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God,^(AA) the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze:^{(AB) 19} I know your works—your love, faithfulness,^[k] service, and endurance.^(AC) I know that your last works are greater than the first. ²⁰ But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel,^(AD) who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.^{(AE) 21} I gave her time to repent,^(AF) but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.^{(AG) 22} Look, I will throw her into a sickbed^(AH) and those who commit adultery with her^(AI) into great affliction.^(AJ) Unless they repent of her^[l] works, ²³ I will strike her children dead.^[m](AK) Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts,^(AL) and I will give to each of you according to your works.^{(AM) 24} I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets^[n](AN) of Satan”^(AO) —as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you.^{(AP) 25} Only hold on to what you have until I come.^{(AQ) 26} The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations—

²⁸ just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.^(AT)

²⁹ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

The Letter to Sardis

3 “Write to the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God^(A) and the seven stars:^(B) I know your works; ^(C) you have a reputation^[b] for being alive, but you are dead.^{(D) 2} Be alert^(E) and strengthen^[c] what remains, which is about to die,^[d] for I have not found your works complete before my God. ³ Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come^[e] like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.^{(F) 4} But you have a few people^[f] in Sardis who have not defiled^[g] their clothes,^(G) and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

⁵ “In the same way, the one who conquers^(H) will be dressed in white clothes,^(I) and I will never erase his name from the book of life^(J) but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.^(K)

⁶ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen^(L) to what the Spirit says^(M) to the churches.

The Letter to Philadelphia

⁷ “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: Thus says the Holy One, the true one,^(N) the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens: ^{(O) 8} I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.^{(P) 9} Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down at your feet,^(Q) and they will know that I have loved you.^{(R) 10} Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing^(S) that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.^{(T) 11} I am coming soon.^(U) Hold on to what you have,^(V) so that no one takes your crown.^(W)

¹² “The one who conquers I will make a pillar^(X) in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God—the new Jerusalem,^(Y) which comes down out of heaven from my God—and my new name.^(Z)

¹³ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

The Letter to Laodicea

¹⁴ “Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: Thus says the Amen, ^(AA) the faithful and true witness, the originator^[h](AB) of God’s creation: ¹⁵ I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit^[i] you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’^(AC) and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich,^(AD) white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed,^(AE) and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline.^(AF) So be zealous and repent. ²⁰ See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.^(AG)

²¹ “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,^(AH) just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

²² “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”