< Revelation 2 >
1 "To the minister of the Church in Ephesus write as follows: "'This is what He who holds the seven stars in the grasp of His right hand says--He who walks to and fro among the seven lampstands of gold.
'To the messenger of the Ephesian assembly write: These things saith he who is holding the seven stars in his right hand, who is walking in the midst of the seven lamp-stands — the golden:
2 I know your doings and your toil and patient suffering. And I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, but have put to the test those who say that they themselves are Apostles but are not, and you have found them to be liars.
I have known thy works, and thy labour, and thy endurance, and that thou art not able to bear evil ones, and that thou hast tried those saying themselves to be apostles and are not, and hast found them liars,
3 And you endure patiently and have borne burdens for My sake and have never grown weary.
and thou didst bear, and hast endurance, and because of my name hast toiled, and hast not been weary.
4 Yet I have this against you--that you no longer love Me as you did at first.
'But I have against thee: That thy first love thou didst leave!
5 Be mindful, therefore, of the height from which you have fallen. Repent at once, and act as you did at first, or else I will surely come and remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.
remember, then, whence thou hast fallen, and reform, and the first works do; and if not, I come to thee quickly, and will remove thy lamp-stand from its place — if thou mayest not reform;
6 Yet this you have in your favor: you hate the doings of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
but this thou hast, that thou dost hate the works of the Nicolaitans, that I also hate.
7 "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of eating the fruit of the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God.'
He who is having an ear — let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: To him who is overcoming — I will give to him to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God.
8 "To the minister of the Church at Smyrna write as follows: "'This is what the First and the Last says--He who died and has returned to life.
'And to the messenger of the assembly of the Smyrneans write: These things saith the First and the Last, who did become dead and did live;
9 Your sufferings I know, and your poverty--but you are rich--and the evil name given you by those who say that they themselves are Jews, and are not, but are Satan's synagogue.
I have known thy works, and tribulation, and poverty — yet thou art rich — and the evil-speaking of those saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but [are] a synagogue of the Adversary.
10 Dismiss your fears concerning all that you are about to suffer. I tell you that the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be put to the test, and for ten days you will have to endure persecution. Be faithful to the End, even if you have to die, and then I will give you the victor's Wreath of Life.
'Be not afraid of the things that thou art about to suffer; lo, the devil is about to cast of you to prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days; become thou faithful unto death, and I will give to thee the crown of the life.
11 "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. He who overcomes shall be in no way hurt by the Second Death.'
He who is having an ear — let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: He who is overcoming may not be injured of the second death.
12 "To the minister of the Church at Pergamum write as follows: "'This is what He who has the sharp, two-edged sword says. I know where you dwell.
'And to the messenger of the assembly in Pergamos write: These things saith he who is having the sharp two-edged sword:
13 Satan's throne is there; and yet you are true to Me, and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas My witness and faithful friend, who was put to death among you, in the place where Satan dwells.
I have known thy works, and where thou dost dwell — where the throne of the Adversary [is] — and thou dost hold fast my name, and thou didst not deny my faith, even in the days in which Antipas [was] my faithful witness, who was put to death beside you, where the Adversary doth dwell.
14 Yet I have a few things against you, because you have with you some that cling to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling-block in the way of the descendants of Israel--to eat what had been sacrificed to idols, and commit fornication.
'But I have against thee a few things: That thou hast there those holding the teaching of Balaam, who did teach Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices, and to commit whoredom;
15 So even you have some that cling in the same way to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
so hast thou, even thou, those holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans — which thing I hate.
16 Repent, at once; or else I will come to you quickly, and will make war upon them with the sword which is in My mouth.
'Reform! and if not, I come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. He who overcomes--to him I will give some of the hidden Manna, and a white stone; and--written upon the stone and known only to him who receives it-- a new name.'
He who is having an ear — let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: To him who is overcoming, I will give to him to eat from the hidden manna, and will give to him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, that no one knew except him who is receiving [it].
18 "To the minister of the Church at Thyateira write as follows: "'This is what the Son of God says--He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet resembling silver-bronze.
'And to the messenger of the assembly of Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who is having his eyes as a flame of fire, and his feet like to fine brass;
19 I know your doings, your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance; and that of late you have toiled harder than you did at first.
I have known thy works, and love, and ministration, and faith, and thy endurance, and thy works — and the last [are] more than the first.
20 Yet I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and by her teaching leads astray My servants, so that they commit fornication and eat what has been sacrificed to idols.
'But I have against thee a few things: That thou dost suffer the woman Jezebel, who is calling herself a prophetess, to teach, and to lead astray, my servants to commit whoredom, and idol-sacrifices to eat;
21 I have given her time to repent, but she is determined not to repent of her fornication.
and I did give to her a time that she might reform from her whoredom, and she did not reform;
22 I tell you that I am about to cast her upon a bed of sickness, and I will severely afflict those who commit adultery with her, unless they repent of conduct such as hers.
lo, I will cast her into a couch, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation — if they may not repent of their works,
23 Her children too shall surely die; and all the Churches shall come to know that I am He who searches into men's inmost thoughts; and to each of you I will give a requital which shall be in accordance with what your conduct has been.
and her children I will kill in death, and know shall all the assemblies that I am he who is searching reins and hearts; and I will give to you — to each — according to your works.
24 But to you, the rest of you in Thyateira, all who do not hold this teaching and are not the people who have learnt the "deep things," as they call them (the deep things of Satan!) --to you I say that I lay no other burden on you.
'And to you I say, and to the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, and who did not know the depths of the Adversary, as they say; I will not put upon you other burden;
25 Only that which you already possess, cling to until I come.
but that which ye have — hold ye, till I may come;
26 "'And to him who overcomes and obeys My commands to the very end, I will give authority over the nations of the earth.
and he who is overcoming, and who is keeping unto the end my works, I will give to him authority over the nations,
27 And he shall be their shepherd, ruling them with a rod of iron, just as earthenware jars are broken to pieces; and his power over them shall be like that which I Myself have received from My Father;
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron — as the vessels of the potter they shall be broken — as I also have received from my Father;
28 and I will give him the Morning Star.
and I will give to him the morning star.
29 Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'
He who is having an ear — let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies.