“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him
who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the
seven golden lampstands.
“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and
how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those
who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be
false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my
name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against
you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember
therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you
did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand
from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the
works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who
conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the
paradise of God.’
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of
the first and the last, who died and came to life.
“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and
the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but
are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that
you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be
faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who
has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The
one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of
him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
“‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold
fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of
Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan
dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there
who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a
stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat
food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also
you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore
repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with
the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give
some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a
new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who
receives it.’
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of
the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet
are like burnished bronze.
“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient
endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have
this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls
herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to
practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I
gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual
immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who
commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation,
unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children
dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind
and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching,
who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to
you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast
what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my
works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,
and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are
broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my
Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
