| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: | 1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp on the seven stars in his right hand--the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands: |
| 2“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; | 2I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false. |
| 3and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. | 3I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. |
| 4Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. | 4But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love! |
| 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. | 5Therefore, remember from what high state you have fallen and repent! Do the deeds you did at the first; if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place--that is, if you do not repent. |
| 6But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. | 6But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice--practices I also hate. |
| 7“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’ | 7The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.' |
| 8“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: | 8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but came to life: |
| 9“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. | 9I know the distress you are suffering and your poverty (but you are rich). I also know the slander against you by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. |
| 10Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. | 10Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown into prison so you may be tested, and you will experience suffering for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. |
| 11“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’ | 11The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will in no way be harmed by the second death.' |
| 12“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: | 12"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has the sharp double-edged sword: |
| 13“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. | 13I know where you live--where Satan's throne is. Yet you continue to cling to my name and you have not denied your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed in your city where Satan lives. |
| 14But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. | 14But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. |
| 15Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. | 15In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. |
| 16Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. | 16Therefore, repent! If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people with the sword of my mouth. |
| 17“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’ | 17The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand except the one who receives it.' |
| 18“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: | 18"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the Son of God, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished bronze: |
| 19“I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. | 19I know your deeds: your love, faith, service, and steadfast endurance. In fact, your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones. |
| 20Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. | 20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. |
| 21And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. | 21I have given her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality. |
| 22Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. | 22Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, unless they repent of her deeds. |
| 23I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. | 23Furthermore, I will strike her followers with a deadly disease, and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay each one of you what your deeds deserve. |
| 24“Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. | 24But to the rest of you in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching (who have not learned the so-called "deep secrets of Satan"), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden on you. |
| 25But hold fast what you have till I come. | 25However, hold on to what you have until I come. |
| 26And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— | 26And to the one who conquers and who continues in my deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations-- |
| 27‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; | 27he will rule them with an iron rod and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, |
| 28and I will give him the morning star. | 28just as I have received the right to rule 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.” ’ | 29The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' |
|
