Revelation 2
1 “To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:
“Write this to the angel of the Ephesus church: This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand says, the one who walks among the seven golden candlesticks:
2 “I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false.
I know what you've accomplished, your hard work and perseverance. I know you can't tolerate evil people, and how you investigated those who claimed to be apostles but are not, and discovered they were frauds.
3 You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
I know about your patience, and what you endured for my sake—and that you didn't give up!
4 But I have this against you, that you left your first love.
But I have something against you: you have neglected your first love.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent.
So remember how far you've fallen—repent and go back to what you were doing at first. Otherwise I'll come to you and I will remove your candlestick from where it is—unless you repent.
6 But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
However, you do have this to your credit: you hate the actions of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.
If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches. I will give to those who are victorious the privilege of eating from the tree of life, which stands in the Paradise of God.
8 “To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
Write this to the angel of the Smyrna church: This is what the first and last says, the one who was dead and came back to life:
9 “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
I know the troubles you are going through, and how poor you are (but you are rich), and the abuse from those who say they are Jews but are not, but belong to Satan's synagogue.
10 Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Don't be afraid about what you are going to suffer. Yes, the devil will throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Just remain faithful, even if it means death, and I will give you the crown of life!
11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches. The second death will not harm those who are victorious.
12 “To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write: “He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things:
Write this to the angel of the Pergamum church: This is what the one holding the sharp two-edged sword says:
13 “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and did not deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
I know you're living where Satan has his throne, and that you have stayed true to me. You have not denied your trust in me, even when my faithful witness Antipas was killed right among you there where Satan lives!
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
But I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak how to entrap the children of Israel by means of eating food sacrificed to idols and committing sexual sins.
15 So also you likewise have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Similarly you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16 Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
So repent, or soon I will come to you and fight against them using the sword of my mouth.
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.
If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches. I will give the hidden manna to those who are victorious. I will give them a white stone with a new name written on it that nobody knows except those who receive it.
18 “To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write: “The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things:
Write this to the angel of the Thyatira church: This is what the Son of God says, the one who has eyes like flaming fire and feet like polished brass.
19 “I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first.
I know what you have accomplished, your love and faithfulness and service and perseverance, and that you are doing more now than when you first believed.
20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
But I have something against you: you are allowing the woman called Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach my followers, leading them astray into sexual sins, and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
I gave her time to repent of her sexual sins, but she's not willing to repent.
22 Behold, I will throw her and those who commit adultery with her into a bed of great oppression, unless they repent of her works.
So I'm throwing her into a bed together with her adulterous partners and they will suffer terribly unless they repent of what they have done with her.
23 I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
I will put her children to death. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines thoughts and motives. I will repay each of you according to what you've done.
24 But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira—as many as do not have this teaching, who do not know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan’—to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you.
For the rest of you there in Thyatira who don't follow this teaching, who have not learned Satan's ‘deep depravities’ as they are called, I don't place on you any other burden. I say to you,
25 Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come.
‘Just hold on to what you have until I come.’
26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.
I will give authority over the nations to those who are victorious and who do what I say until the end.
27 He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots, as I also have received of my Father;
He will rule the nations with an iron rod, breaking them into pieces like clay pots. In the same way that I received authority from my Father,
28 and I will give him the morning star.
I will give them the morning star.
29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.
If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches.”
