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A Letter to the Church in Ephesus

“To the messenger of the church in Ephesus, write:

The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands, says: I know what you have done—how hard you have worked and how you have endured. I also know that you cannot tolerate wicked people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not apostles. You have discovered that they are liars. You have endured, suffered trouble because of my name, and have not grown weary. However, I have this against you: The love you had at first is gone. Remember how far you have fallen. Return to me and change the way you think and act, and do what you did at first. I will come to you and take your lamp stand from its place if you don’t change. But you have this in your favor—you hate what the Nicolaitans are doing. I also hate what they’re doing.

“Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life, which stands in the paradise of God, to everyone who wins the victory.

A Letter to the Church in Smyrna

“To the messenger of the church in Smyrna, write: The first and the last, who was dead and became alive, says:

I know how you are suffering, how poor you are—but you are rich. I also know that those who claim to be Jews slander you. They are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. Your suffering will go on for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Everyone who wins the victory will never be hurt by the second death.

A Letter to the Church in Pergamum

12 “To the messenger of the church in Pergamum, write: The one who holds the sharp two-edged sword says:

13 I know where you live. Satan’s throne is there. You hold on to my name and have not denied your belief in me, even in the days of Antipas. He was my faithful witness who was killed in your presence, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you: You have among you those who follow what Balaam taught Balak. Balak trapped the people of Israel by ⌞encouraging⌟ them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to sin sexually. 15 You also have some who follow what the Nicolaitans teach. 16 So return to me and change the way you think and act, or I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword from my mouth. 17 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give each person a white stone with a new name written on it, a name that is known only to the person who receives it.

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.

Footnotes

  1. 2:26 The first part of verse 28 (in Greek) has been moved to the beginning of verse 26 to express the complex Greek sentence structure more clearly in English.

Write To Ephesus: You Left Your First Love. Repent And Do The First Works

To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write— These things says the One holding-on-to the seven stars in His right hand, the One walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. I know your works and[a] labor and your endurance, and that you cannot bear-with evil ones. And you tested the ones calling themselves apostles (and they are not) and you found them to be false. And you have endurance, and bore-up for the sake of My name, and have not become-weary. But I have against you that you left your first love. Therefore, be remembering[b] from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works. Otherwise, I am coming to you. And I will move[c] your lampstand from its place unless you repent. But this you have— that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Let the one having an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one overcoming[d], I will give him authority to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.

Write To Smyrna: You Are Going To Suffer. Be Faithful

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write— These things says the First and the Last Who became dead and came-to-life. I know your affliction, and[e] poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by the ones saying that they are Jews (and they are not), but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be fearing at all the things which you are about to suffer. Behold— the devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. And you will have affliction for ten days. Be[f] faithful until[g] death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let the one having an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. The one overcoming will never be harmed by the second death.

Write To Pergamum: You Have Some Holding On To False Teachings. Repent

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum, write— These things says the One having the sharp double-edged sword. 13 I know where you dwell: where Satan’s throne is. And you are holding-on-to My name. And you did not deny My faith[h], even during the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there ones holding-on-to the teaching of Balaam, who was teaching Balak to put a cause-of-falling before the sons of Israel to eat foods-sacrificed-to-idols and to commit-sexual-immorality. 15 So you also have ones holding-on-to the teaching of the Nicolaitans likewise. 16 Therefore repent. Otherwise, I am coming to you[i] quickly. And I will fight[j] against them with the sword of My mouth. 17 Let the one having an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one overcoming— I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white pebble. And having been written upon the pebble is a new name which no one knows except the one[k] receiving it.

Write To Thyatira: You Are Tolerating a False Teacher. Repent From Her Works

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira, write— These things says the Son of God, the One having His eyes like a flame of fire and His feet resembling brass[l]. 19 I know your works and[m] love and faith[n] and service and your endurance. And your last works are greater[o] than the first. 20 But I have against you that you are tolerating the woman Jezebel— the one calling herself a prophet. And she is teaching and misleading My slaves to commit-sexual-immorality and eat foods-sacrificed-to-idols. 21 And I gave her time in order that she might repent. And she is not willing to repent from her sexual-immorality. 22 Behold— I am throwing[p] her into a bed[q], and the ones committing-adultery with her into a great affliction, unless they repent from her works. 23 And I will kill her children[r] with a death[s]. And all the churches will know[t] that I am the One searching[u] minds and hearts, and I will give to you, to each one, according to your works. 24 But I say to you, to the rest in Thyatira— all-who are not holding this teaching, who did not know the deep things of Satan (as they say): I am not putting[v] another burden upon you. 25 However, hold-on-to what you have until whenever I come. 26 And the one overcoming and[w] the one keeping My works[x] until the end— I will give him authority over the nations. 27 And he will shepherd[y] them with an iron rod like clay vessels are broken-to-pieces, 28 as I also[z] have received from My Father. And I will give him the morning[aa] star. 29 Let the one having an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:2 Or, even.
  2. Revelation 2:5 Or, keeping in mind.
  3. Revelation 2:5 Or, shake, remove.
  4. Revelation 2:7 Or, conquering, being victorious.
  5. Revelation 2:9 Or, even.
  6. Revelation 2:10 Or, Prove-to-be faithful ones.
  7. Revelation 2:10 Or, as far as, to the extent of.
  8. Revelation 2:13 That is, your faith in Me; or, My gospel.
  9. Revelation 2:16 That is, the church. This word is singular.
  10. Revelation 2:16 Or, wage war.
  11. Revelation 2:17 Or, the One; that is, Jesus, 19:12.
  12. Revelation 2:18 Or, metal.
  13. Revelation 2:19 Or, even.
  14. Revelation 2:19 Or, faithfulness.
  15. Revelation 2:19 That is, in quantity (more) or quality (better, superior).
  16. Revelation 2:22 Or, putting.
  17. Revelation 2:22 That is, of sickness; or, of judgment.
  18. Revelation 2:23 That is, followers.
  19. Revelation 2:23 kill... with a death. That is, I will surely kill. Or, I will kill... with pestilence.
  20. Revelation 2:23 Or, come-to-know.
  21. Revelation 2:23 Or, examining.
  22. Revelation 2:24 Or, throwing, as in v 22.
  23. Revelation 2:26 Or, even.
  24. Revelation 2:26 As opposed to her works, v 22.
  25. Revelation 2:27 That is, rule.
  26. Revelation 2:28 Compare 19:15.
  27. Revelation 2:28 That is, the light of a new day; or, Myself, since this phrase is used of Christ in 22:16.