New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:

1"Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: "The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says:

2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.

2I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars.

3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.

3You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary.

4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.

5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

5Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.

6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.

6Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God. The Message to the Church in Smyrna

7"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God's paradise.

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

8"Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: "The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life, says:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan.

9I know your affliction and poverty, yet you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

10Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. The Message to the Church in Pergamum

11"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.

12 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:

12"Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: "The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword says:

13 “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.

13I know where you live--where Satan's throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness who was killed among you, where Satan lives.

14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.

14But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching.

15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

16Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. The Message to the Church in Thyatira

17"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

18 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:

18"Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: "The Son of God, the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze, says:

19 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.

19I know your works--your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your last works are greater than the first.

20 “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.

20But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.

21I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.

22 “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds.

22Look! I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her practices.

23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.

23I will kill her children with the plague. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

24 “But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you

24I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven't known the deep things of Satan--as they say--I do not put any other burden on you.

25 except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come.

25But hold on to what you have until I come.

26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations.

26The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations--

27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.

27and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery -- just as I have received this from My Father.

28 They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!

28I will also give him the morning star.

29 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

29"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.