2 Write this to the angel of the church people in Ephesus: Here are the words of the one who holds the seven stars in his hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamps.
2 `He says, "I know the things you do. I know that you work hard and are patient. I know that you have nothing to do with bad men. You tested those who say they are messengers from God but are not. You proved that they are not true apostles.
3 I know that you are patient and are strong for my name's sake. And you have not given up.
4 But here is what I say against you. You do not love as you loved at first.
5 So remember what you were like at first. Stop! Live the way you did at first. If you do not, I will come and move your lamp from its place. I will do it if you do not stop.
6 But this is good: you hate the things which the people called Nicolaitans do. I hate the things they do also."
7 He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. He says, "I will let the person who wins eat fruit from the tree of life. It grows in God's garden." '
8 `Write this to the angel of the church people in Smyrna: Here are the words of the one who is the First and the Last. He is the one who died but lived again.
9 `He says, "I know the things you do and the trouble you have. I know you are poor. But you are rich in some ways. I know some people do not respect God. They call themselves Jews. But they are not real Jews. They belong to Satan's people.
10 Do not be afraid of the troubles you will have. Yes, the devil will put some of you into prison where you will be tested. You will have trouble for ten days. But keep on believing, even if you have to die for it. I will give you life for ever."
11 `He who can hear should listen to the message of the Spirit to the churches. He says, "The person who wins will not be hurt by the second death." '
12 `Write this to the angel of the church people in Pergamum: Here are the words of the one who has the long knife which is sharp on both sides.
13 `He says, "I know where you live. You live where Satan rules. But you keep my name and you have never said that you do not believe in me. You kept on believing in me even in the time of Antipas. He said he believed in me and was true to me. He was killed among you where Satan lives.
14 But I have a few things to say against you. You have some people there who believe the teaching of Balaam. He showed Balak how to trick the people of Israel and make them do wrong. They ate food that was given to idols, and they used sex wrongly.
15 Also, you have people among you who believe the teaching of the Nicolaitans. I hate the things they do.
16 Stop! If you do not, I will come soon and I will fight against them with the long knife that comes from my mouth."
17 `He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. He says, "I will give some of the secret food to the person who wins. And I will give him a white stone. A new name will be written on the stone. No one will know the name but the one who gets the stone." '
18 `Write this to the angel of the church people in Thyatira: Here are the words of the Son of God. He is the one whose eyes shine like a flame of fire, and his feet shine like fine brass.
19 `He says, "I know the things you do. I know that you love me, believe in me, work for me, and are patient. I know that you do these things more now than you did at first.
20 But I have this to say against you. You let that woman named Jezebel keep on teaching. She calls herself a prophet of God but teaches my servants wrong things. She fools them to use sex wrongly and eat food that has been given to idols.
21 I gave her time to stop, but she will not stop her wrong sexual ways and turn back to God.
22 Look, I will make her very sick, and also those who love her. I will do it if they do not stop what they are doing with her.
23 I will kill her children. Then all the churches will know that I find out what is in a person's mind and heart. I will pay each one of you for the good or wrong things you have done.
24 But some of you in Thyatira do not listen to that woman's teaching. You have not learned what some people call the deep things of Satan. To you I say, I will put no other load on you.
25 The only thing I say to you is to keep on believing until I come.
26 If a person wins and does what I want him to do until the end, I will make him rule with me over all peoples.
27 The holy writings said this long ago: `He will rule them with an iron stick. He will break them to pieces like pots made of clay.' This is the same power as I received from my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star."
29 `He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'