2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, ¹  write the following: ² 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ³  the one who has a firm grasp on ⁴  the seven stars in his right hand ⁵  – the one who walks among the seven golden ⁶  lampstands: 2:2 ‘I know your works as well as your ⁷  labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate ⁸  evil. You have even put to the test ⁹  those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false. 2:3 I am also aware ¹⁰  that you have persisted steadfastly, ¹¹  endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. 2:4 But I have this against you: You have departed ¹²  from your first love! 2:5 Therefore, remember from what high state ¹³  you have fallen and repent! Do ¹⁴  the deeds you did at the first; ¹⁵  if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place – that is, if you do not repent. ¹⁶  2:6 But you do have this going for you: ¹⁷  You hate what the Nicolaitans ¹⁸  practice ¹⁹  – practices I also hate. 2:7 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, ²⁰  I will permit ²¹  him to eat from the tree of life that is ²²  in the paradise of God.’ ²³ 

2:8 “To ²⁴  the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: ²⁵ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ²⁶  the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but ²⁷  came to life: 2:9 ‘I know the distress you are suffering ²⁸  and your poverty (but you are rich). I also know ²⁹  the slander against you ³⁰  by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but are a synagogue ³¹  of Satan. 2:10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown ³²  into prison so you may be tested, ³³  and you will experience suffering ³⁴  for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. ³⁵  2:11 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers ³⁶  will in no way be harmed by the second death.’

2:12 “To ³⁷  the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following: ³⁸ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ³⁹  the one who has the sharp double-edged sword: ⁴⁰  2:13 ‘I know ⁴¹  where you live – where Satan’s throne is. Yet ⁴²  you continue to cling ⁴³  to my name and you have not denied your ⁴⁴  faith in me, ⁴⁵  even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, ⁴⁶  who was killed in your city ⁴⁷  where Satan lives. 2:14 But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, ⁴⁸  who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block ⁴⁹  before the people ⁵⁰  of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. ⁵¹  2:15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ⁵²  2:16 Therefore, ⁵³  repent! If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people ⁵⁴  with the sword of my mouth. 2:17 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, ⁵⁵  I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white ⁵⁶  stone, ⁵⁷  and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand ⁵⁸  except the one who receives it.’

2:18 “To ⁵⁹  the angel of the church in Thyatira writethe following: ⁶⁰ 

“ This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁶¹  the Son of God, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame ⁶²  and whose feet are like polished bronze: ⁶³  2:19 ‘I know your deeds: your love, faith, ⁶⁴  service, and steadfast endurance. ⁶⁵  In fact, ⁶⁶  your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones. 2:20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that ⁶⁷  woman ⁶⁸  Jezebel, ⁶⁹  who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives ⁷⁰  my servants ⁷¹  to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ⁷²  2:21 I ⁷³  have given her time to repent, but ⁷⁴  she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality. 2:22 Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, ⁷⁵  and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, ⁷⁶  unless they repent of her deeds. 2:23 Furthermore, I will strike her followers ⁷⁷  with a deadly disease, ⁷⁸  and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay ⁷⁹  each one of you ⁸⁰  what your deeds deserve. ⁸¹  2:24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching ⁸²  (who have not learned the so-called “deep secrets ⁸³  of Satan”), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden on you. 2:25 However, hold on to what you have until I come. 2:26 And to the one who conquers ⁸⁴  and who continues in ⁸⁵  my deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations ⁸⁶  –

2:27 he ⁸⁷  will rule ⁸⁸  them with an iron rod ⁸⁹ 

and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, ⁹⁰ 

2:28 just as I have received the right to rule ⁹¹  from my Father – and I will give him the morning star. ⁹²  2:29 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:1 “To ⁹³  the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: ⁹⁴ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁹⁵  the one who holds ⁹⁶  the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation ⁹⁷  that you are alive, but ⁹⁸  in reality ⁹⁹  you are dead. 3:2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about ¹⁰⁰  to die, because I have not found your deeds complete ¹⁰¹  in the sight ¹⁰²  of my God. 3:3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, ¹⁰³  and obey it, ¹⁰⁴  and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never ¹⁰⁵  know at what hour I will come against ¹⁰⁶  you. 3:4 But you have a few individuals ¹⁰⁷  in Sardis who have not stained ¹⁰⁸  their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed ¹⁰⁹  in white, because they are worthy. 3:5 The one who conquers ¹¹⁰  will be dressed like them ¹¹¹  in white clothing, ¹¹²  and I will never ¹¹³  erase ¹¹⁴  his name from the book of life, but ¹¹⁵  will declare ¹¹⁶  his name before my Father and before his angels. 3:6 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:7 “To ¹¹⁷  the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following: ¹¹⁸ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹¹⁹  the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors ¹²⁰  no one can shut, and shuts doors ¹²¹  no one can open: 3:8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put ¹²²  in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) ¹²³  I know ¹²⁴  that you have little strength, ¹²⁵  but ¹²⁶  you have obeyed ¹²⁷  my word and have not denied my name. 3:9 Listen! ¹²⁸  I am going to make those people from the synagogue ¹²⁹  of Satan – who say they are Jews yet ¹³⁰  are not, but are lying – Look, I will make ¹³¹  them come and bow down ¹³²  at your feet and acknowledge ¹³³  that I have loved you. 3:10 Because you have kept ¹³⁴  my admonition ¹³⁵  to endure steadfastly, ¹³⁶  I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away ¹³⁷  your crown. ¹³⁸  3:12 The one who conquers ¹³⁹  I will make ¹⁴⁰  a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I ¹⁴¹  will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), ¹⁴²  and my new name as well. 3:13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

3:14 “To ¹⁴³  the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: ¹⁴⁴ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹⁴⁵  the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator ¹⁴⁶  of God’s creation: 3:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. ¹⁴⁷  I wish you were either cold or hot! 3:16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going ¹⁴⁸  to vomit ¹⁴⁹  you out of my mouth! 3:17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, ¹⁵⁰  and need nothing,” but ¹⁵¹  do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, ¹⁵²  poor, blind, and naked, 3:18 take my advice ¹⁵³  and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me ¹⁵⁴  white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness ¹⁵⁵  will not be exposed, and buy eye salve ¹⁵⁶  to put on your eyes so you can see! 3:19 All those ¹⁵⁷  I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent! 3:20 Listen! ¹⁵⁸  I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home ¹⁵⁹  and share a meal with him, and he with me. 3:21 I will grant the one ¹⁶⁰  who conquers ¹⁶¹  permission ¹⁶²  to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered ¹⁶³  and sat down with my Father on his throne. 3:22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”