Revelation 2

2 ¹"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The one holding the seven stars in his right hand, walking among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

²"I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot bear the wicked; you tested those calling themselves apostles but are not, and found them liars. ³You have endured and borne up for my name, and have not grown weary. ⁴But I have this against you: you have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵So remember where you've fallen from; repent and do your first works. Otherwise I'm coming to you to remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶But you do have this: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of our Father.

The First and the Last

⁸"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who died and lived again, says this:

⁹"I know your suffering and poverty—yet you are rich—and slander from those claiming to be Jews but are not, Satan's synagogue. ¹⁰Don't fear what you're about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you in prison to test you; you'll suffer ten days. Be faithful to death, and I'll give you the crown of life. ¹¹Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit tells the churches. Whoever conquers won't be hurt by the second death.

The Sharp Two-Edged Sword

¹²"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, two-edged sword:

¹³"I know where you live—where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold to my name and never denied your faith in me, even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was killed among you, where Satan lives. ¹⁴But I have a few things against you: some there hold Balaam's teaching. He taught Balak to set a stumbling block before Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual sin. ¹⁵So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶Repent, then. Otherwise I'll come to you soon and fight those who hold to it with the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷Anyone with an ear should hear what the Holy Spirit tells the churches. To the victor I will give hidden manna and a white stone inscribed with a new name that only its receiver knows.

Eyes Like Flame

¹⁸"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of our Father, whose eyes are like a flame of fire and feet like polished bronze, says:

¹⁹"I know your works—your love, faith, service, and endurance—and that your last works exceed the first. ²⁰But I have this against you: you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet, teaching and misleading my servants into sexual sin and eating food sacrificed to idols. ²¹I gave her time to repent, but she won't repent of her sexual sin. ²²I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great suffering, unless they turn from her deeds. ²³And I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know I am he who searches mind and heart, and will repay each of you for your works. ²⁴But to the rest of you in Thyatira who don't hold this teaching, who haven't learned Satan's so-called deep things: I lay no other burden on you. ²⁵Only hold fast to what you have until I come. ²⁶Whoever conquers and keeps my works to the end, I will give them authority over the nations, ²⁷and he will rule them with an iron rod, shattering them like clay pots—as I also received authority from my Father. ²⁸And I will give him the morning star. ²⁹Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches."