1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and [I know] the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but [are] the synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, [even] where Satan’s seat [is]: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it.] 18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet [are] like fine brass; 19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last [to be] more than the first. 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye have [already] hold fast till I come. 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Revelation 2 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Antipas
Called Christ's faithful witness, killed at Pergamum where Satan dwells.
Cited in the guide: Revelation 2:13
Jezebel
A woman at Thyatira who called herself a prophetess and led Christ's servants into immorality and idolatry; the name probably recalls Ahab's wife.
Cited in the guide: Revelation 2:20
Places
Ephesus
The chief city of Roman Asia, famed for the temple of Artemis. Paul's long ministry sparked the silversmiths' riot; the city is also the first addressed in Revelation.
Cited in the guide: Acts 19:1; Acts 19:28; Revelation 2:1
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Revelation 1:20; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 1:11–13; Revelation 3:7; Revelation 2:18
- 2 1 John 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1–3; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 11:13–15; Revelation 3:8
- 3 Hebrews 10:36; Galatians 6:9; James 5:7–11; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:3–4
- 4 Matthew 24:12–13; Jeremiah 2:2–5; Hebrews 6:10–11; Philippians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3
- 5 Revelation 3:2–3; Revelation 3:19; Revelation 2:16; Hosea 14:1; Acts 17:30–31
- 6 Psalm 26:5; Psalm 101:3; 2 John 9–10; Revelation 2:14–15; 2 Chronicles 19:2
- 7 Revelation 2:11; Revelation 2:17; Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:43; Revelation 13:9
- 8 Revelation 1:17–18; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:11; Revelation 2:1
- 9 Revelation 3:9; James 2:5–6; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Romans 9:6; 2 Corinthians 6:10
- 10 James 1:12; Matthew 10:22; Revelation 3:10–11; Luke 21:16–19; Mark 13:13
- 11 Revelation 20:6; Revelation 20:14; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 2:17
- 12 Revelation 2:16; Revelation 1:16; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:15; Revelation 1:11
- 13 Revelation 2:9–10; 1 Timothy 5:8; Revelation 3:8–9; Revelation 3:11; Acts 22:20
- 14 Numbers 31:16; 2 Peter 2:15; Revelation 2:20; Numbers 25:1–3; Jude 11
- 15 Revelation 2:6
- 16 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 1:16; Ephesians 6:17; Revelation 2:5; Isaiah 11:4
- 17 Isaiah 62:2; Isaiah 65:15; Revelation 19:12–13; Revelation 3:12–13; Revelation 2:7
- 18 Revelation 1:14–15; Revelation 1:11; John 3:35–36; Psalm 2:7; John 5:25
- 19 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Peter 1:7; John 15:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Revelation 2:2–4
- 20 Revelation 2:14; 1 Kings 16:31; 1 Corinthians 10:18–21; Acts 15:29; 2 Kings 9:7
- 21 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4–5; Revelation 9:20–21; Revelation 16:11; Revelation 16:9
- 22 Revelation 17:2; Luke 13:5; Ezekiel 16:37–41; Jeremiah 36:3; Revelation 18:3
- 23 Matthew 16:27; Psalm 7:9; Romans 8:27; 1 Peter 1:17; Acts 1:24
- 24 2 Corinthians 2:11; Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Acts 15:28; 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
- 25 Revelation 3:3; Revelation 3:11; Hebrews 10:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; Revelation 22:7
- 26 Revelation 3:21; Revelation 2:7; Daniel 7:27; Psalm 2:8; Revelation 20:4
- 27 Psalm 2:8–9; Revelation 12:5; Revelation 19:15; Isaiah 30:14; Matthew 11:27
- 28 Revelation 22:16; 2 Peter 1:19; Luke 1:78–79
- 29 Revelation 2:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Wherefore the Word has also spoken of them thus: "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate." Chapter XXVII — Doctrines of Cerdo and Marcion
… and is called so; so also, when man is grafted in by faith and receives the Spirit of God, he certainly does not lose the substance of flesh, but changes the quality of the fruit [brought forth, i.e.,] of his works, and receives another name, showing that he has become changed for the better, being now not [mere] flesh and …