Revelation 1-3

New Life Version

1 The things that are written in the Book are made known by Jesus Christ. God gave these things to Christ so He could show them to the servants He owns. These are things which must happen very soon. Christ sent His angel to John who is a servant owned by Him. Christ made these things known to John. ² John tells that the Word of God is true. He tells of Jesus Christ and all that he saw and heard of Him. ³ The man who reads this Book and listens to it being read and obeys what it says will be happy. For all these things will happen soon.

John Writes to the Seven Churches in Asia

⁴ This is John writing to the seven churches in the country of Asia. May you have loving-favor and peace from God Who was and Who is and Who is to come. May you have loving-favor and peace from the seven Spirits who are before His throne. ⁵ May you have loving-favor and peace from Jesus Christ Who is faithful in telling the truth. Jesus Christ is the first to be raised from the dead. He is the head over all the kings of the earth. He is the One Who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood. ⁶ Christ has made us a holy nation of religious leaders who can go to His God and Father. He is the One to receive honor and power forever! Let it be so. ⁷ See! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see Him. Even the men who killed Him will see Him. All the people on the earth will cry out in sorrow because of Him. Yes, let it be so.

⁸ The Lord God says, “I am the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of all things. I am the All-powerful One Who was and Who is and Who is to come.”

What God Wanted to Show John of Christ

⁹ I, John, am your Christian brother. I have shared with you in suffering because of Jesus Christ. I have also shared with you His holy nation and we have not given up. I was put on the island called Patmos because I preached the Word of God and told about Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was under the Spirit’s power on the Lord’s Day when I heard a loud voice behind me like the loud sound of a horn. ¹¹ It said, “(*I am the First and the Last.) Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches. They are in the cities of Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

¹² I turned around to see who was speaking to me. As I turned, I saw seven lights made of gold. ¹³ Among the lights stood One Who looked like the Son of Man. He had on a long coat that came to His feet. A belt of gold was around His chest. ¹⁴ His head and His hair were white like white wool. They were as white as snow. His eyes were like fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like shining brass as bright as if it were in a fire. His voice sounded like powerful rushing water. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in His right hand. A sharp sword that cuts both ways came out of His mouth. His face was shining as bright as the sun shines at noon. ¹⁷ When I saw Him, I fell down at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever. I have power over death and hell. ¹⁹ So write the things you have seen and the things that are and the things that will happen later. ²⁰ This is what the seven stars and the seven lights made of gold mean that you saw in My right hand. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The seven lights are the seven churches.

Words to the Church in Ephesus

2 “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Ephesus: ‘The One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and the One Who walks among the seven lights made of gold, says this: ² I know what you have done and how hard you have worked. I know how long you can wait and not give up. I know that you cannot put up with sinful men. I know that you have put men to the test who call themselves missionaries. You have found they are not missionaries but are false. ³ You have waited long and have not given up. You have suffered because of Me. You have kept going on and have not become tired. ⁴ But I have this one thing against you. You do not love Me as you did at first. ⁵ Remember how you once loved Me. Be sorry for your sin and love Me again as you did at first. If you do not, I will come to you and take your light out of its place. I will do this unless you are sorry for your sin and turn from it. ⁶ But you have this: You hate what the Nicolaitans do. I hate what they do also. ⁷ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the fruit of the tree of life in the garden of God to everyone who has power and wins.’

Words to the Church in Smyrna

⁸ “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Smyrna: ‘The One Who is First and Last, the One Who died and came to life again, says this: ⁹ I know of your troubles. I know you are poor. But still you are rich! I know the bad things spoken against you by those who say they are Jews. But they are not Jews. They belong to the devil. ¹⁰ Do not be afraid of what you will suffer. Listen! The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will be in trouble for ten days. Be faithful even to death. Then I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The person who has power and wins will not be hurt by the second death!’

Words to the Church in Pergamum

¹² “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Pergamum: ‘The One Who has the sharp sword that cuts both ways, says this: ¹³ I know where you live. It is the place where Satan sits. I know that you are true to Me. You did not give up and turn away from your faith in Me, even when Antipas was killed. He was faithful in speaking for Me. He was killed in front of you where Satan is. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you. You have some people who follow the teaching of Balaam. He taught Balak to set a trap for the Jews. He taught them to eat food that had been given as a gift in worship to false gods and to do sex sins. ¹⁵ You also have some who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans in the same way. ¹⁶ Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. If you do not, I will come to you right away. I will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. ¹⁷ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the hidden bread from heaven to everyone who has power and wins. I will give each of them a white stone also. A new name will be written on it. No one will know the name except the one who receives it!’

Words to the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸ “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Thyatira: ‘The Son of God Who has eyes like fire and Whose feet are like shining brass, says this: ¹⁹ I know what you are doing. I know of your love and faith. I know how you have worked and how you have waited long and have not given up. I know that you are working harder now than you did at first. ²⁰ But I have this against you: You are allowing Jezebel who calls herself a preacher to teach my servants. She is leading them in the wrong way and they are doing sex sins. And they are eating food that has been given as a gift in worship to false gods. ²¹ I gave her time to be sorry for her sins and turn from them. She does not want to turn from her sex sins. ²² See! I will throw her on a bed. Those who do sex sins with her will suffer much trouble and pain. I will let them suffer unless they are sorry for the sins they have done with her and turn from them. ²³ And I will kill her children. All the churches will know that I am the One Who looks deep into the hearts and minds. I will give you whatever is coming to you because of your work. ²⁴ But the rest of you there in the city of Thyatira have not followed this false teaching. You have not learned what they call the secrets of Satan. So I will put no other load on you. ²⁵ But hold on to what you have until I come. ²⁶ To the one who has power and wins and does what I want him to do, I will give the right and the power over the nations. ²⁷ He will be leader over them using a piece of iron. And they will be broken in pieces like pots of clay. My Father has given Me this right and power. ²⁸ And I will give him the Morning Star. ²⁹ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!’

Words to the Church in Sardis

3 “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Sardis: ‘The One Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: I know what you are doing. I know people think you are alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Make stronger what you have before it dies. I have not found your work complete in God’s sight. ³ So remember what you have received and heard. Keep it. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. If you will not wake up, I will come as a robber. You will not know at what time I will come. ⁴ But there are a few people in the church in the city of Sardis whose clothes are not dirty with sins. They will walk with Me wearing white clothes. They have done what they should. ⁵ Everyone who has power and wins will wear white clothes. I will not take his name from the book of life. I will speak of his name before My Father and His angels. ⁶ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Words to the Church in Philadelphia

⁷ “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Philadelphia: ‘He Who is holy and true, Who holds the key of David, Who opens and no man can shut, Who shuts and no man can open, says this: ⁸ I know what you are doing. See! You do not have much power, but you have obeyed My Word. You have not turned against Me. So I have given you an open door that no man can shut. ⁹ See! There are some who belong to Satan. They say they are Jews, but they are not. They are liars. See! I will make them come to you and get down at your feet. Then they will know that I love you. ¹⁰ I will keep you from the time of trouble. The time to test everyone is about to come to the whole world. I will do this because you have listened to Me and have waited long and have not given up. ¹¹ I am coming very soon. Hold on to what you have so no one can take your crown. ¹² I will make the one who has power and wins an important part that holds up the house of God. He will never leave it again. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God. It is the new Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem will come down from My God out of heaven. I will write My new name on him. ¹³ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Words to the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴ “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Laodicea: ‘The One Who says, Let it be so, the One Who is faithful, the One Who tells what is true, the One Who made everything in God’s world, says this: ¹⁵ I know what you are doing. You are not cold or hot. I wish you were one or the other. ¹⁶ But because you are warm, and not hot or cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ You say that you are rich and that you need nothing, but you do not know that you are so troubled in mind and heart. You are poor and blind and without clothes. ¹⁸ You should buy gold from Me that has been tested by fire that you may be rich. Buy white clothes to dress yourself so the shame of not wearing clothes will be taken away. Buy medicine to put on your eyes so you can see. ¹⁹ I speak strong words to those I love and I punish them. Have a strong desire to please the Lord. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. ²⁰ See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and we will eat together. ²¹ I will allow the one who has power and wins to sit with Me on My throne, as I also had power and won and sat down with My Father on His throne. ²² You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”