The Letters to the Seven Churches

The Letter to Ephesus

“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) 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) I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name,(E) and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.(F) 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. Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

“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

“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: 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—

27 and he will rule[o](AR) them with an iron scepter;
he will shatter them like pottery[p](AS)

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.

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Or messenger, also in vv. 8,12,18
  2. 2:5 Other mss add quickly
  3. 2:7 Other mss read in the midst of
  4. 2:9 Other mss add works and
  5. 2:10 Or wreath
  6. 2:13 Other mss add your works and
  7. 2:13 Or deny my faith
  8. 2:14 Or to place a trap
  9. 2:15 Other mss add which I hate
  10. 2:17 Other mss add to eat
  11. 2:19 Or faith
  12. 2:22 Other mss read their
  13. 2:23 Or with a plague
  14. 2:24 Or the secret things
  15. 2:27 Or shepherd
  16. 2:27 Ps 2:9

To the Church in Ephesus

“To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus(A) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand(B) and walks among the seven golden lampstands.(C) I know your deeds,(D) your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested(E) those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.(F) You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name,(G) and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.(H) Consider how far you have fallen! Repent(I) and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand(J) from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans,(K) which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear(L) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,(M) I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,(N) which is in the paradise(O) of God.

To the Church in Smyrna

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

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,(Q) who died and came to life again.(R) I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!(S) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,(T) but are a synagogue of Satan.(U) 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,(V) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.(W) Be faithful,(X) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.(Y)

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

To the Church in Pergamum

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

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

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

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

To the Church in Thyatira

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

These are the words of the Son of God,(AT) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.(AU) 19 I know your deeds,(AV) 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,(AW) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(AX) 21 I have given her time(AY) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(AZ) 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery(BA) 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,(BB) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.(BC)

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,(BD) 25 except to hold on to what you have(BE) until I come.’(BF)

26 To the one who is victorious(BG) and does my will to the end,(BH) I will give authority over the nations(BI) 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter(BJ) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[b](BK)—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.(BL) 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear(BM) what the Spirit says to the churches.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18
  2. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9