Revelation 2

To the Church in Ephesus

1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus,s write the following:t
“This is the solemn pronouncement ofts the one who has a firm grasp ont the seven stars in his right hands – the one who walks among the seven goldent lampstands:2 ‘I know your works as well as yourt labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot toleratet evil. You have even put to the testt those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false.3 I am also awaret that you have persisted steadfastly,t endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary.4 But I have this against you: You have departedt from your first love!5 Therefore, remember from what high statet you have fallen and repent! Dot the deeds you did at the first;t if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place – that is, if you do not repent.t6 But you do have this going for you:t You hate what the Nicolaitanss practicet – practices I also hate.

7 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers,t I will permitt him to eat from the tree of life that ist in the paradise of God.’s

To the Church in Smyrna

8 “Tot the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following:t
“This is the solemn pronouncement ofts the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, butt came to life:9 ‘I know the distress you are sufferingt and your poverty (but you are rich). I also knowt the slander against yout by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but are a synagogues of Satan.10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrownt into prison so you may be tested,t and you will experience sufferingt for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself.t

11 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquerst will in no way be harmed by the second death.’

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “Tot the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following:t
“This is the solemn pronouncement ofts the one who has the sharp double-edged sword:s13 ‘I knows where you live – where Satan’s throne is. Yett you continue to clingt to my name and you have not denied yourt faith in me,t even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,t who was killed in your cityt where Satan lives.14 But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam,s who instructed Balak to put a stumbling blockt before the peoplet of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.t15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans.ts16 Therefore,s repent! If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those peoplet with the sword of my mouth.

17 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers,t I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a whitet stone,t and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understandt except the one who receives it.’

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “Tot the angel of the church in Thyatira write the following:t
“This is the solemn pronouncement ofts the Son of God, the one who has eyes like a fiery flamet and whose feet are like polished bronze:t19 ‘I know your deeds: your love, faith,t service, and steadfast endurance.t In fact,t your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones.20 But I have this against you: You tolerate thatt womans Jezebel,s who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceivest my servantst to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.s21 It have given her time to repent, butt she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality.22 Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness,t and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering,t unless they repent of her deeds.23 Furthermore, I will strike her followerst with a deadly disease,t and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repayt each one of yous what your deeds deserve.t24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teachings (who have not learned the so-called “deep secretst of Satan”), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden on you.25 However, hold on to what you have until I come.

26 And to the one who conquerst and who continues int my deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nationst –

27 hetwill ruletthem with an iron rodt
and like clay jars he will break them to pieces,s
28 just as I have received the right to rulet from my Father – and I will give him the morning star.t

29 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3

To the Church in Sardis

1 “Tot the angel of the church in Sardis write the following:t
“This is the solemn pronouncement ofts the one who holdst the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputationt that you are alive, butt in realityt you are dead.2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was aboutt to die, because I have not found your deeds completet in the sightt of my God.3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard,t and obey it,t and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will nevert know at what hour I will come againstt you.4 But you have a few individualst in Sardis who have not stainedt their clothes, and they will walk with me dressedt in white, because they are worthy.5 The one who conquerst will be dressed like themt in white clothing,t and I will nevert eraset his name from the book of life, butt will declaret his name before my Father and before his angels.

6 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Philadelphia

7 “Tot the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following:t
“This is the solemn pronouncement ofts the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doorst no one can shut, and shuts doorst no one can open:8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have putt in front of you an open door that no one can shut.)ts I knowt that you have little strength,t butt you have obeyedt my word and have not denied my name.9 Listen!t I am going to make those people from the synagogues of Satan – who say they are Jews yett are not, but are lying – Look, I will maket them come and bow downt at your feet and acknowledget that I have loved you.10 Because you have keptt my admonitiont to endure steadfastly,t 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.11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take awayt your crown.s12 The one who conquerst I will maket a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. It 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),s and my new name as well.

13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “Tot the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following:t
“This is the solemn pronouncement ofts the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originatort of God’s creation:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.s I wish you were either cold or hot!16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am goingt to vomitt you out of my mouth!17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth,t and need nothing,” butt do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful,t poor, blind, and naked,18 take my advicet and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from met white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakednesst will not be exposed, and buy eye salves to put on your eyes so you can see!19 All thoset I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!20 Listen!t I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his homets and share a meal with him, and he with me.21 I will grant the onet who conquerst permissiont to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conqueredt and sat down with my Father on his throne.

22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Revelation 4

The Amazing Scene in Heaven

1 After these things I looked, and there wast a door standing open in heaven!t And the first voice I had heard speaking to met like a trumpets said: “Come up here so thatt I can show you what must happen after these things.”2 Immediately I was in the Spirit,t andt a throne was standingt in heaven with someone seated on it!3 And the one seated on it was like jasperts and carnelians in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emeraldt encircled the throne.4 Int a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They weret dressed in white clothing and had golden crownss on their heads.5 Fromt the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaringt and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God,s were burning in front of the throne

6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal.t
Int the middle of the thronet and around the throne were four living creaturest full of eyes in front and in back.7 Thet first living creature was like a lion, thet second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying.

8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wingst and was full of eyes all around and inside.t They never rest day or night, saying:t
“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful,ts
Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor,t and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the groundt before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crownss before hist throne, saying:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
since you created all things,
and because of your will they existed and were created!”s