To the Church in Smyrna

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

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,(B) who died and came to life again.(C) I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!(D) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,(E) but are a synagogue of Satan.(F) 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,(G) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.(H) Be faithful,(I) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.(J)

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

To the Church in Pergamum

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

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.(N) 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,(O) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,(P) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.(Q)

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

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

To the Church in Thyatira

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

These are the words of the Son of God,(AE) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.(AF) 19 I know your deeds,(AG) 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,(AH) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(AI) 21 I have given her time(AJ) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(AK) 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery(AL) 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,(AM) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.(AN)

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,(AO) 25 except to hold on to what you have(AP) until I come.’(AQ)

26 To the one who is victorious(AR) and does my will to the end,(AS) I will give authority over the nations(AT) 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter(AU) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[a](AV)—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.(AW) 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear(AX) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Sardis

“To the angel[b] of the church in Sardis(AY) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[c](AZ) of God and the seven stars.(BA) I know your deeds;(BB) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.(BC) 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.(BD) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,(BE) and you will not know at what time(BF) I will come to you.

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

Footnotes

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

Psalm 145[a]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you,(A) my God the King;(B)
    I will praise your name(C) for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise(D) you
    and extol your name(E) for ever and ever.

Great(F) is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(G)
    his greatness no one can fathom.(H)
One generation(I) commends your works to another;
    they tell(J) of your mighty acts.(K)
They speak of the glorious splendor(L) of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b](M)
They tell(N) of the power of your awesome works—(O)
    and I will proclaim(P) your great deeds.(Q)
They celebrate your abundant goodness(R)
    and joyfully sing(S) of your righteousness.(T)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,(U)
    slow to anger and rich in love.(V)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate

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