Revelation 2
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
“To the messenger of the church in Ephesus write: “These things says He who holds the seven stars on His right hand, who walks about in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2 I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.
‘I know your works, yes the labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot stand those who are evil. And you have tested those who claim to be apostles and are not, and found them to be liars;
3 Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.
and you have born up and endured on account of my name, and not grown weary.
4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love.
“‘Nevertheless I have against you that you have left your first love.
5 Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
So think about from where you have drifted and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come at you swiftly and remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you do repent.
6 But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But you do have this, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.’
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.
“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one who overcomes I will grant to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of my God.
8 To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.
“And to the messenger of the church in Smyrna write: “These things says the First and the Last, who became dead and came to life:
9 I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
‘I know your works and affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Do not fear any of the things that you are about to suffer: Take note, the devil is really about to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will have an affliction of ten days. Stay faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.’
11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. The one who overcomes will absolutely not be harmed by the second death.
12 To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.
“And to the messenger of the church in Pergamos write: “These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13 I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
‘I know your works, and where you live, where Satan's throne is. And you hold my name fast and did not deny my faith during the days in which Antipas was my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.
14 But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
“‘Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you have there adepts of the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things offered to idols and to fornicate.
15 In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Thus you also have adepts of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans as well.
16 Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.
Repent! Or else I will come at you swiftly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.’
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.
“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one who overcomes I will grant to eat from the hidden manna. And I will give him a white pebble, and on the pebble a new name written, which no one knows except the receiver.
18 To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze.
“And to the messenger of the church in Thyatira write: “These things says the Son of God, He who has the eyes like a flame of fire and the feet like fine brass:
19 I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latter deeds are greater than your first.
‘I know your works—the love, the faith, the service—and your endurance; in fact your last works are greater than the first.
20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
“‘Nevertheless I have against you that you tolerate your wife Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my slaves to fornicate and to eat things offered to idols.
21 Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.
I even gave her time so that she might repent, but she does not want to repent of her fornication.
22 Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds.
So, I am throwing her into a sickbed and those adulterating with her into great affliction, unless they repent of her works.
23 Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
And I will execute her children; and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your works.
24 But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you.
“‘Now to the rest of you who are in Thyatira I say—to as many as do not hold this teaching, those who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say—I will not put any other burden on you;
25 Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come.
just hold fast what you have until I come.
26 And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
And as for the one who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations;
27 He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery —just as I have received authority from My Father.
and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron; they will be smashed like clay pots
28 And I will give him the morning star.
—just as I have received from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.’
29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
