Revelation 2
1 “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:
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 who walks among the seven golden candlesticks.
2 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.
I know your works and your toil and stedfastness, and that you cannot endure evil men, and that you tested those who called themselves apostles, though they are not, and how you found them false.
3 I know about your patience, and what you endured for my sake—and that you didn't give up!
You are holding fast, and have borne up for my names’s sake, and have not grown weary.
4 But I have something against you: you have neglected your first love.
But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 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.
Remember whence you have fallen, and turn again, and do your first works. Otherwise I am coming to you and will remove your candlestick out of its place, unless you repent.
6 However, you do have this to your credit: you hate the actions of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I hate.
7 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.
He who has an ear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To him that overcomes, to him will I give to eat from the tree of life which is in the garden of God.
8 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:
And unto the angel of the Church in Smyrna, write. These are the words of the First and the Last, he who died and has returned to life.
9 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.
I know your persecution and your poverty - but you are rich! I know the reviling of those who say that they themselves are Jews, when they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 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!
Fear not what you are about to suffer! Behold, the devil is indeed going to put some of you in prison, that you may be tested, and you will have persecution for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches. The second death will not harm those who are victorious.
Let him who has ears, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.
12 Write this to the angel of the Pergamum church: This is what the one holding the sharp two-edged sword says:
And to the angel of the Church in Pergamum, write These are the words of Him who holds the sharp two-edged sword.
13 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!
I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is; and yet you are holding fast my name, and you have not denied my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one, who was slain among you, where Satan has his dwelling.
14 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.
But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling- block before the sons of Israel, to eat food offered to idols, and to practise immorality.
15 Similarly you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
So you have also some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16 So repent, or soon I will come to you and fight against them using the sword of my mouth.
Repent; if you do not I will very soon come to you, and will make war upon them with the sword of my mouth.
17 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.
He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To him that overcomes I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no man knows, but he that receives it.
18 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.
And to the angel of the Church in Thyatira, write. These are the words of the Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like burnished brass.
19 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.
I know your works and your love and faith and service and endurance; I know that your last works are more than the first.
20 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.
But I have this against you, that you are tolerating that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she is teaching and leading my slaves astray, leading them to practise immorality, and to eat food which has been sacrificed to idols.
21 I gave her time to repent of her sexual sins, but she's not willing to repent.
I have given her time for repentance; but she is determined not to turn from her immorality.
22 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.
Behold, I will lay her on a sick bed, and bring great distress upon those who have committed adultery with her, unless they turn away from her works.
23 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.
And moreover, her children will I kill with pestilence. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the hearts and souls of men. I will give to each of you according to his works.
24 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,
But to the rest of you in Thyatira, those who do not hold his teaching, and who do not know the "deep things" of Satan (as they call them),
25 ‘Just hold on to what you have until I come.’
I say that I am imposing upon you no fresh burden; only hold fast what you have till I come.
26 I will give authority over the nations to those who are victorious and who do what I say until the end.
To him that overcomes and perseveres in my works to the end, will I give authority over the nations.
27 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,
And he shall shepherd them with a rod of iron, shattering them like earthen vessels (as I myself have received from my Father),
28 I will give them the morning star.
and I will give him the Morning Star."
29 If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit is telling the churches.”
Let him who has an ear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
