Revelation 2:18-3:6

GOD’S WORD Translation

A Letter to the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸ “To the messenger of the church in Thyatira, write: The Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like glowing bronze, says:

¹⁹ I know what you do. I know your love, faith, service, and endurance. I also know that what you are doing now is greater than what you did at first. ²⁰ But I have something against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. She teaches and misleads my servants to sin sexually and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to turn to me and change the way she thinks and acts, but she refuses to turn away from her sexual sins. ²² Watch me! I’m going to throw her into a sickbed. Those who commit sexual sins with her will also suffer a lot, unless they turn away from what she is doing. ²³ I will kill her children. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches hearts and minds. I will reward each of you for what you have done. ²⁴ But the rest of you in Thyatira—all who don’t hold on to Jezebel’s teaching, who haven’t learned what are called the deep things of Satan—I won’t burden you with anything else. ²⁵ Just hold on to what you have until I come. ²⁶ I have received authority from my Father.^[a] I will give authority over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and continues to do what I want until the end. ²⁷ Those people will rule the nations with iron scepters and shatter them like pottery. ²⁸ I will also give them the morning star. ²⁹ Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

A Letter to the Church in Sardis

3 “To the messenger of the church in Sardis, write: The one who has God’s seven spirits and the seven stars says:

I know what you have done. You are known for being alive, but you are dead. ² Be alert, and strengthen the things that are left which are about to die. I have found that what you are doing has not been completed in the sight of my God. ³ So remember what you received and heard. Obey, and change the way you think and act. If you’re not alert, I’ll come like a thief. You don’t know when I will come. ⁴ But you have a few people in Sardis who have kept their clothes clean. They will walk with me in white clothes because they deserve it. ⁵ Everyone who wins the victory this way will wear white clothes. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge them in the presence of my Father and his angels. ⁶ Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.