“To the messenger of the assembly in Ephesus, write:

These are the words of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven gold lampstands.

I know what you have done — your hard work, your staying power, and that you cannot put up with evil people. You tested the ones who call themselves emissaries when they are not, and you found them to be liars. You have held out, you have carried a load because of my name, and you have not worn out.

But I have this against you: you have let go of the love you had at first. So remember where you have fallen from. Change your mind, and do the work you did at first. If you do not, I am coming to you, and I will move your lampstand out of its place — unless you change.

But you do have this in your favour: you hate what the Nikolaitans do, and I hate it too.

If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies. To the one who comes through it I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God’s garden.”

“To the messenger of the assembly in Smyrna, write:

These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came back to life.

I know your pressure and your poverty — though you are rich. And I know the slander from those who call themselves Jews and are not, but are a gathering that belongs to the accuser. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look — the accuser is about to throw some of you into prison so you can be tested, and you will be under pressure for ten days. Stay trustworthy all the way to death, and I will give you the crown of life.

If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies. The one who comes through it will not be touched by the second death.”

“To the messenger of the assembly in Pergamum, write:

These are the words of the one with the sharp double-edged sword.

I know where you live — where the accuser’s throne is. And you are holding on to my name. You did not deny your trust in me even in the days of Antipas, my trustworthy witness, who was killed among you, where the accuser lives.

But I have a few things against you. Some of you hold to what Balaam taught — he showed Balak how to set a trap for the people of Israel, to get them eating food offered to idols and sleeping around. In the same way, some of you hold to what the Nikolaitans teach. So change your mind. If you do not, I am coming to you soon, and I will fight them with the sword that comes out of my mouth.

If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies. To the one who comes through it I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on it, which nobody knows except the one who receives it.”

“To the messenger of the assembly in Thyatira, write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like fine bronze.

I know what you have done — your love, your trust, your service, your staying power — and that what you are doing now is more than what you did at first.

But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet, and who teaches my servants and leads them off into sleeping around and eating food offered to idols. I gave her time to change her mind, and she does not want to change what she is doing. Look — I am throwing her onto a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into heavy pressure, unless they change their minds about what she does. I will strike her children dead, and every assembly will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give each of you what your actions deserve.

As for the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching and have not learned what they call ‘the deep things of the accuser’ — I am not putting any other load on you. Just hold on to what you have until I come.

To the one who comes through it, and keeps doing what I want to the end, I will give authority over the nations — he will shepherd them with an iron rod and shatter them like clay pots — just as I received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies.”