But this I have against you--You have abandoned your first love.

But this is in your favor--You hate the life lived by the Nikolaitans, and I also hate it.

To the Angel of the Church in Smyrna write:-- "These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died, but is restored to life:--

I know your persecution and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know, too, the slander that come from those who declare that they are Jews, though they are not, but are a Congregation of Satan.

I gave her time to repent, but she is determined not to turn from her licentiousness.

But I say to the rest of you at Thyatira--all who do not accept such teaching, whose who did not learn 'the secrets of Satan,' as men call them--I am not laying on you any further burden;

Be on the watch, and strengthen what still survives, though once it was all but dead; for I have not found your life perfect in the eyes of my God.

He who conquers shall be clothed in these white robes, and I will not 'strike his name out of the Book of Life'; but I will own him before my Father, and before his angels.

I know your life (see, I have set a door open before you which no one is able to shut), I know that, though you have but little strength, you kept my teaching in mind, and did not disown my Name.

Listen, I give some of the Congregation of Satan, the men who declare that they are Jews, though they are not, but are lying----I will make them 'come and bow down at your feet,' and they shall learn that I loved you.

But now, because you are lukewarm, neither hot not cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

But no one either in Heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the book or look within it.

But one of the Councillors said to me--'Do not weep. The Lion conquered--the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Scion of David--and can therefore open the book with its seven seals.'

And I heard what seemed to be a voice, coming from among the four Creatures, crying--'A quart of wheat for a florin, and three quarts of barley for a florin! But do not harm the oil and the wine.'

They were told not to harm the grass, or any plant, or any tree, but only those who have not 'the seal of God upon their foreheads.'

Yet they were not allowed to kill them, but it was ordered that those men should be tortured for five months. Their torture was like the torture caused by a scorpion when it stings a man.

In those days men 'will seek Death and will not find it'; They will long to die, but Death flees from them.

But those who were left of mankind, who had not perished through these Curses, did not repent and turn away from what their own hands had made; they would not abandon the worship of 'demons, and of idols made of gold or silver or brass or stone or wood, which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk';

And, when they spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from Heaven say-- 'Keep secret what the seven peals of thunder said, and do not write it down.'

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. And he said 'Take it, and eat it. It will be bitter to your stomach, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.'

I took the little book out of the angel's hand 'and ate it, and, while in my mouth, it was like the sweetest honey'; but, when I had eaten it, it was bitter to my stomach.

But omit the court outside the Temple, and do not measure that, for it has been given up to the nations; and the holy City will be under their heel for forty-two months.

But the woman fled into the wilderness, where there is a place prepared for her by God, to be tended there for twelve hundred and sixty days.

Then a battle took place in the heavens. Michael and his angels fought with the Dragon. But though the Dragon, with his angels, fought,

Therefore, be glad, O Heaven, and all who live in Heaven! Alas for the earth and for the sea, for the Devil has gone down to you in great fury, knowing that he has but little time.'

But to the woman were given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she might fly to her place in the wilderness, where she is being tended for 'one year, and for two years, and for half a year' in safety from the Serpent.

But Earth came to her help, and opened her mouth and drank up the river which the Dragon had poured out of its mouth.

The Beast that I saw was like a leopard; but its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth like the mouth of a lion. The Dragon gave it his power and his throne, and wide dominion.

One of its heads seemed to me to have been mortally wounded, but its deadly wound had been healed. The whole earth followed the Beast, wondering;

but the angel said to me-- 'Why were you amazed? I will tell you the mystic meaning of the vision of this woman, and of the Beast, with the seven heads and ten horns, that carries her.

The Beast that you saw was, but is not, and is about to rise out of the bottomless pit, and is on its way to destruction. Those who are living on earth will be amazed--those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world--when they see that the Beast was, but is not, and yet will come.'

So must the Beast that was, but is not. He counts as an eighth king, although he is one of the seven, and is on his way to destruction.

The ten horns that you saw are ten kings. who have not yet received their kingdoms, but for an hour they receive the authority of kings, together with the Beast.

They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; so, too, will those with him who have received the Call and are chosen and faithful.

I prostrated myself at the feet of him who spoke to worship him, but he said to me- - 'Forbear; I am your fellow-servant, and the fellow-servant of your Brothers who bear their testimony to Jesus. Worship God. For to bear testimony to Jesus needs the inspiration of the Prophets.'

His eyes are flaming fires; on his head there are many diadems, and he bears a name, written, which no one knows but himself;

Blessed and holy will he be who shares in that First Resurrection. The second Death has no power over them; but they will be priests of God, and the Christ, and they will reign with him for the thousand years.

But as for cowards, unbelievers, the degraded, murderers, the impure, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars--their place will be in the burning lake of fire and sulphur. That is the Second Death.'

'Never shall any unhallowed thing enter it,' nor he whose life is shameful and false, but only 'those whose names have been written in the Lamb's Book of Life.'

But he said to me-- 'Forbear; I am your fellow-servant, and the fellow-servant of your Brothers, the Prophets, and of all who lay to heart the words in this book. Worship God.'