2 “To the angel+ of the congregation in Ephʹe·sus+ write: These are the things that he says who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:+ 2 ‘I know your deeds, and your labor and endurance, and that you cannot tolerate bad men, and that you put to the test those who say they are apostles,+ but they are not, and you found them to be liars. 3 You are also showing endurance, and you have persevered for the sake of my name+ and have not grown weary.+ 4 Nevertheless, I hold this against you, that you have left the love you had at first.
5 “‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent+ and do the deeds you did at first. If you do not, I will come to you, and I will remove your lampstand+ from its place, unless you repent.+ 6 Still, you do have this in your favor: that you hate the deeds of the sect of Nic·o·laʹus,+ which I also hate. 7 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations:+ To the one who conquers+ I will grant to eat of the tree of life,+ which is in the paradise of God.’
8 “And to the angel of the congregation in Smyrʹna write: These are the things that he says, ‘the First and the Last,’+ who became dead and came to life again:+ 9 ‘I know your tribulation and poverty—but you are rich+—and the blasphemy by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but they are a synagogue of Satan.+ 10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer.+ Look! The Devil will keep on throwing some of you into prison so that you may be fully put to the test, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life.+ 11 Let the one who has an ear hear+ what the spirit says to the congregations: The one who conquers+ will by no means be harmed by the second death.’+
12 “To the angel of the congregation in Perʹga·mum write: These are the things that he says who has the sharp, long, two-edged sword:+ 13 ‘I know where you are dwelling, that is, where the throne of Satan is; and yet you keep holding fast to my name,+ and you did not deny your faith in me+ even in the days of Anʹti·pas, my faithful witness,+ who was killed+ by your side, where Satan is dwelling.
14 “‘Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, that you have there those adhering to the teaching of Baʹlaam,+ who taught Baʹlak+ to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.*+ 15 In the same way, you also have those adhering to the teaching of the sect of Nic·o·laʹus.+ 16 So repent. If you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will war against them with the long sword of my mouth.+
17 “‘Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations:+ To the one who conquers+ I will give some of the hidden manna,+ and I will give him a white pebble, and written on the pebble is a new name that no one knows except the one receiving it.’
18 “To the angel of the congregation in Thy·a·tiʹra+ write: These are the things that the Son of God says, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame+ and whose feet are like fine copper:+ 19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and ministry and endurance, and that your deeds of late are more than those you did at first.
20 “‘Nevertheless, I do hold this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezʹe·bel,+ who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and misleads my slaves to commit sexual immorality*+ and to eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality.* 22 Look! I am about to throw her into a sickbed, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with deadly plague, so that all the congregations will know that I am the one who searches the innermost thoughts* and hearts, and I will give to you individually according to your deeds.+
24 “‘However, I say to the rest of you who are in Thy·a·tiʹra, all those who do not follow this teaching, those who did not get to know the so-called “deep things of Satan”:+ I am not putting on you any other burden. 25 Just the same, hold fast to what you have until I come.+ 26 And to the one who conquers and observes my deeds down to the end, I will give authority over the nations,+ 27 and he will shepherd the people with an iron rod+ so that they will be broken to pieces like clay vessels, just as I have received from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.+ 29 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.’
3 “To the angel of the congregation in Sarʹdis write: These are the things that he says who has the seven spirits of God+ and the seven stars:+ ‘I know your deeds, that you have the name* that you are alive, but you are dead.+ 2 Become watchful,+ and strengthen the things remaining that were ready to die, for I have not found your works fully performed* before my God. 3 Therefore, continue mindful of* how you have received and how you heard, and go on keeping it, and repent.+ Certainly unless you wake up, I will come as a thief,+ and you will not know at all at what hour I will come upon you.+
4 “‘Nevertheless, you do have a few individuals* in Sarʹdis who did not defile their garments,+ and they will walk with me in white ones,+ because they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers+ will thus be dressed in white garments,+ and I will by no means blot out* his name from the book of life,+ but I will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.+ 6 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.’
7 “To the angel of the congregation in Philadelphia write: These are the things he says who is holy,+ who is true,+ who has the key of David,+ who opens so that no one will shut and shuts so that no one opens: 8 ‘I know your deeds—look! I have set before you an opened door,+ which no one can shut. And I know that you have a little power, and you kept my word and did not prove false to my name. 9 Look! I will make those from the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews yet are not,+ but are lying—look! I will make them come and bow* before your feet and make them know that I have loved you. 10 Because you kept the word about my endurance,*+ I will also keep you from the hour of test,+ which is to come upon the entire inhabited earth, to put to the test those dwelling on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly.+ Keep holding fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown.+
12 “‘The one who conquers—I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will by no means go out from it anymore, and I will write upon him the name of my God+ and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem+ that descends out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.+ 13 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.’
14 “To the angel of the congregation in La·o·di·ceʹa+ write: These are the things that the Amen+ says, the faithful and true+ witness,+ the beginning of the creation by God:+ 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or else hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm and neither hot+ nor cold,+ I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich+ and have acquired riches and do not need anything at all,” but you do not know that you are miserable and pitiful and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may become dressed and that the shame of your nakedness may not be exposed,+ and eyesalve to rub in your eyes+ so that you may see.+
19 “‘All those for whom I have affection, I reprove and discipline.+ So be zealous and repent.+ 20 Look! I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into his house and take the evening meal with him and he with me. 21 To the one who conquers+ I will grant to sit down with me on my throne,+ just as I conquered and sat down+ with my Father on his throne. 22 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.’”
4 After this I saw, and look! an opened door in heaven, and the first voice that I heard speaking with me was like a trumpet, saying: “Come up here, and I will show you the things that must take place.” 2 After this I immediately came to be in the power of the spirit, and look! a throne was in its position in heaven, and someone was seated on the throne.+ 3 And the One seated had the appearance of a jasper stone+ and a sardius stone,* and all around the throne was a rainbow like an emerald in appearance.+
4 All around the throne were 24 thrones, and on these thrones I saw seated 24 elders+ dressed in white garments, and on their heads golden crowns. 5 From the throne were coming lightning+ and voices and thunders;+ and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, and these mean the seven spirits of God.+ 6 Before the throne was something resembling a glassy sea,+ like crystal.
In the midst of the throne* and around the throne were four living creatures+ that were full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first living creature was like a lion,+ and the second living creature was like a young bull,+ and the third living creature+ had a face like a man’s, and the fourth living creature+ was like a flying eagle.+ 8 As for the four living creatures, each one of them had six wings; they were full of eyes all around and underneath.+ And continuously, day and night, they say: “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah*+ God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is coming.”+
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanksgiving to the One seated on the throne, the One who lives forever and ever,+ 10 the 24 elders+ fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship the One who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, Jehovah* our God, to receive the glory+ and the honor+ and the power,+ because you created all things,+ and because of your will they came into existence and were created.”
5 And I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne+ a scroll written on both sides,* sealed tight with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or underneath the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. 4 I gave way to a great deal of weeping because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 But one of the elders said to me: “Stop weeping. Look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah,+ the root+ of David,+ has conquered+ so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 And I saw standing in the midst* of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders+ a lamb+ that seemed to have been slaughtered,+ having seven horns and seven eyes, and the eyes mean the seven spirits of God+ that have been sent out into the whole earth. 7 At once he came forward and took it out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne.+ 8 When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders+ fell down before the Lamb, and each one had a harp and golden bowls that were full of incense. (The incense means the prayers of the holy ones.)+ 9 And they sing a new song,+ saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people for God+ out of every tribe and tongue* and people and nation,+ 10 and you made them to be a kingdom+ and priests to our God,+ and they are to rule as kings+ over the earth.”
11 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was myriads of myriads* and thousands of thousands,+ 12 and they were saying with a loud voice: “The Lamb who was slaughtered+ is worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”+
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and underneath the earth+ and on the sea, and all the things in them, saying: “To the One sitting on the throne+ and to the Lamb+ be the blessing and the honor+ and the glory and the might forever and ever.”+ 14 The four living creatures were saying: “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshipped.