To the Church in Ephesus (Acts 19:8–12; Ephesians 1:1–2)
1 CPDV “And to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write: Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: BSB BSB: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 CPDV I know your works, and your hardship and patient endurance, and that you cannot stand those who are evil. And so, you have tested those who declare themselves to be Apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. BSB BSB: I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.
3 CPDV And you have patient endurance for the sake of my name, and you have not fallen away. BSB BSB: Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.
4 CPDV But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity. BSB BSB: But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love.
5 CPDV And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. BSB BSB: Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
6 CPDV But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. BSB BSB: But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 CPDV Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him who prevails, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of my God. BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna 8 CPDV And to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna write: Thus says the First and the Last, he who was dead and now lives: BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.
9 CPDV I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich, and that you are blasphemed by those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, but who are a synagogue of Satan. BSB BSB: I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
10 CPDV You should fear nothing amid those things which you will suffer. Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tested. And you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give to you the crown of life. BSB BSB: Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 CPDV Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. Whoever will prevail, he shall not be harmed by the second death. BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum 12 CPDV And to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus write: Thus says he who holds the sharp two-edged spear: BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.
13 CPDV I know where you dwell, where the seat of Satan is, and that you hold to my name and have not denied my faith, even in those days when Antipas was my faithful witness, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells. BSB BSB: I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits, yet you hold fast to My name. You did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of My faithful witness Antipas, who was killed among you where Satan dwells.
14 CPDV But I have a few things against you. For you have, in that place, those who hold to the doctrine of Balaam, who instructed Balak to cast a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication. BSB BSB: But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
15 CPDV And you also have those who hold to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. BSB BSB: In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16 CPDV So do penance to the same extent. If you do less, I will come to you quickly and I will fight against these ones with the sword of my mouth. BSB BSB: Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 CPDV Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him who prevails, I will give the hidden manna. And I will give to him a white emblem, and on the emblem, a new name has been written, which no one knows, except the one who receives it. BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira (Acts 16:11–15)
18 CPDV And to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira write: Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like shining brass. BSB BSB: To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze.
19 CPDV I know your works, and your faith and charity, and your ministry and patient endurance, and that your more recent works are greater than the earlier ones. BSB BSB: I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latest deeds are greater than your first.
20 CPDV But I have a few things against you. For you permit the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication and to eat the food of idolatry. BSB BSB: But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
21 CPDV And I gave her a time, so that she might do penance, but she is not willing to repent from her fornication. BSB BSB: Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling.
22 CPDV Behold, I will cast her onto a bed, and those who commit adultery with her shall be in a very great tribulation, unless they repent from their works. BSB BSB: Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds.
23 CPDV And I will put her sons to death, and all the Churches shall know that I am the one who examines temperaments and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. But I say to you, BSB BSB: Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 CPDV and to the others who are at Thyatira: Whoever does not hold to this doctrine, and who has not ‘known the depths of Satan,’ as they say, I will not set any other weight upon you. BSB BSB: But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you
25 CPDV Even so, that which you have, hold on to it until I return. BSB BSB: than to hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 CPDV And whoever will prevail and will observe my works even unto the end, I will give to him authority over the nations. BSB BSB: And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
27 CPDV And he shall rule them with an iron rod, and they shall be broken like the earthenware of a potter. BSB BSB: He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery—just as I have received authority from My Father.
28 CPDV The same I also have received from my Father. And I will give to him the morning star. BSB BSB: And I will give him the morning star.
29 CPDV Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.” BSB BSB: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.