< Apocalypsis 2 >
1 angelo Ephesi ecclesiae scribe haec dicit qui tenet septem stellas in dextera sua qui ambulat in medio septem candelabrorum aureorum
[He also said to me], “Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Ephesus [city: ‘I] am saying these things [to you: I am] the one who firmly holds the seven stars in my right hand. [I am] the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 scio opera tua et laborem et patientiam tuam et quia non potes sustinere malos et temptasti eos qui se dicunt apostolos et non sunt et invenisti eos mendaces
I know what you do: You labor [for me] intensely, and you continue [to serve me] steadfastly. [I know] that you cannot tolerate people [who teach what is] evil [MTY], and that you investigated people who falsely claimed that they are apostles, and you found that they were lying.
3 et patientiam habes et sustinuisti propter nomen meum et non defecisti
[I know] also that you continue [to serve me] steadfastly. [Even when people] ([caused you to suffer/persecuted you]), you continued to serve [me] because [you believe] in me, and you have not become too tired [to keep on serving me].
4 sed habeo adversus te quod caritatem tuam primam reliquisti
Nevertheless, I have [this complaint] against you: You no longer love [each other and me] as you did when you first [MTY] [trusted in me].
5 memor esto itaque unde excideris et age paenitentiam et prima opera fac sin autem venio tibi et movebo candelabrum tuum de loco suo nisi paenitentiam egeris
[So, I tell you to] remember how you used to love [me and each other, and] to [realize] that you no longer love as you did. [I tell] you to turn away from your sin [of not loving me and each other], and start loving [each other and me again] as you did at first. If you do not turn away from your sinful behavior, I will come [to judge] you and cause your group to cease to be a Christian congregation [MET].
6 sed hoc habes quia odisti facta Nicolaitarum quae et ego odi
But you have the following good quality: Those Nicolaitans [teach you believers that you can worship idols and that you may act immorally]. However, you hate such teaching, just like I also hate it.
7 qui habet aurem audiat quid Spiritus dicat ecclesiis vincenti dabo ei edere de ligno vitae quod est in paradiso Dei mei
Everyone who wants to understand my message [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations. To everyone who overcomes [Satan], I will give the right to eat [fruit] [MTY] from the tree [that gives] eternal life, the tree that is in God’s garden.’”
8 et angelo Zmyrnae ecclesiae scribe haec dicit primus et novissimus qui fuit mortuus et vivit
“Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Smyrna [city: ‘I am] saying these things [to you. I am] the one who caused [everything to have a beginning] and [who will cause all things to] end. I am the one who died and became alive [again].
9 scio tribulationem tuam et paupertatem tuam sed dives es et blasphemaris ab his qui se dicunt Iudaeos esse et non sunt sed sunt synagoga Satanae
I know that you suffer [because of what unbelievers do to you], and that you lack [material possessions]. But [I also know that] you are [spiritually] [MET] rich. [I know] that people (slander/say evil things about) you. They say that they are Jews, but I do not [consider that they are Jews. I consider that] they [belong to] the group that Satan [controls]!
10 nihil horum timeas quae passurus es ecce missurus est diabolus ex vobis in carcerem ut temptemini et habebitis tribulationem diebus decem esto fidelis usque ad mortem et dabo tibi coronam vitae
Do not be afraid of any of the things that you are about to suffer. The truth is that the devil is about to [put] some of you in prison, to tempt you [to deny that you believe in me]. For a short period of time you will suffer [because of what people will do to you] [MTY]. Continue to trust in me, [even if] they kill you [because you trust in me]. As a result, I will [reward you with] eternal life, [just like] [MET] [people reward a victorious athlete by putting] a wreath [on his head].
11 qui habet aurem audiat quid Spiritus dicat ecclesiis qui vicerit non laedetur a morte secunda
Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations. [After] those who conquer [Satan die], they will live with God. They will never suffer again, even though many others will suffer as though they died a second time.’”
12 et angelo Pergami ecclesiae scribe haec dicit qui habet rompheam utraque parte acutam
“Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Pergamum [city: ‘I am] saying these things [to you. I am] the one who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13 scio ubi habitas ubi sedes est Satanae et tenes nomen meum et non negasti fidem meam et in diebus Antipas testis meus fidelis qui occisus est apud vos ubi Satanas habitat
I know where you live: It is where Satan controls [MTY] [people]. [I know] that you firmly believe in me [MTY]. You did not deny that you believe/trust in me, not even in the time when Antipas, (my faithful witness/who faithfully told people about me), [was alive]. He was killed {People killed him} in your city, a city where [people] habitually obey Satan.
14 sed habeo adversus te pauca quia habes illic tenentes doctrinam Balaam qui docebat Balac mittere scandalum coram filiis Israhel edere et fornicari
Nevertheless, I have this [complaint] against you: You permit some of your [members] to teach things like Balaam [taught long ago. He] taught Balak to persuade the Israeli people to sin. [Specifically], he taught them to eat food that had been offered to idols, and to practice sexual immorality.
15 ita habes et tu tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum
In that way, you are also permitting some of [your members] to practice what the Nicolaitans teach, [which is like what Balaam taught].
16 similiter paenitentiam age si quo minus venio tibi cito et pugnabo cum illis in gladio oris mei
So you must stop doing [this]. If [you do] not stop doing [it], I will come to you suddenly. Using the words that I will say I will fight against those [who believe this false teaching] [MTY], and I will ([condemn them/say that they must be punished]).
17 qui habet aurem audiat quid Spiritus dicat ecclesiis vincenti dabo ei manna absconditum et dabo illi calculum candidum et in calculo nomen novum scriptum quod nemo scit nisi qui accipit
Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations. To everyone who conquers [Satan], I will give [blessings that will be like] the [food called] manna [that is in a jar] that is {that someone has} hidden. I will also give them a white stone on which [I will] engrave a new name, a name that no one but the ones who receive it will know.’”
18 et angelo Thyatirae ecclesiae scribe haec dicit Filius Dei qui habet oculos ut flammam ignis et pedes eius similes orichalco
“Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Thyatira [city: ‘I], (the Son of God/the one who is also God), am saying these things [to you: I am] the one whose eyes [shine] [SIM] like a flame of fire, and whose feet [shine] [MET] like fine brass.
19 novi opera tua et caritatem et fidem et ministerium et patientiam tuam et opera tua novissima plura prioribus
I know that you love [me and each other], and that you trust [in me]. I know that you serve [others] and that you steadfastly endure [a lot of difficulties/trials. I know] that you are doing these things more now than [you have done them] in the past.
20 sed habeo adversus te quia permittis mulierem Hiezabel quae se dicit propheten docere et seducere servos meos fornicari et manducare de idolothytis
Nevertheless, I have this [complaint] about you: You tolerate that woman [among your members who is like] [MET] [that wicked queen] Jezebel [who lived long ago]. She says that she (is a prophetess/proclaims messages that come directly from God), but through what she teaches she is deceiving my servants. She is urging them to commit sexual immorality and to eat food that they have offered to idols.
21 et dedi illi tempus ut paenitentiam ageret et non vult paeniteri a fornicatione sua
Although I gave her time to stop [her sexual immorality and pagan practices], she did not want to stop [doing them].
22 ecce mitto eam in lectum et qui moechantur cum ea in tribulationem maximam nisi paenitentiam egerint ab operibus eius
[As a result], I will cause her to become very ill [MTY]. I will also cause those [who act immorally as she does] [MET] to suffer greatly, if they do not stop [doing] what she does.
23 et filios eius interficiam in morte et scient omnes ecclesiae quia ego sum scrutans renes et corda et dabo unicuique vestrum secundum opera vestra
Some [have become like] her children by doing [what she teaches] [MET]; I will certainly get rid of them. As a result, all the congregations will recognize that I am the one who finds out what everyone thinks and desires [MTY]. I will reward each of you according to what you have done.
24 vobis autem dico ceteris qui Thyatirae estis quicumque non habent doctrinam hanc qui non cognoverunt altitudines Satanae quemadmodum dicunt non mittam super vos aliud pondus
But I have something good to say about the rest [of you believers] in Thyatira. [It is good] that you do not accept that [false] teaching. [It is good that you reject] what those [teachers] call their ‘secret [practices’, practices that] Satan [inspired] (OR, what those teachers [facetiously] call the secret, profound [practices that] Satan [inspires]). I will not burden you with any commands [other than that which you already have been told].
25 tamen id quod habetis tenete donec veniam
Just keep [believing firmly in me, and obey me] until I return.
26 et qui vicerit et qui custodierit usque in finem opera mea dabo illi potestatem super gentes
As for those who conquer [Satan] and who (OR, [because] they) keep on doing what I command until they die, I will give them authority, just like I myself received it from my Father. [They will exercise that authority] over the nations [that rebel against God].
27 et reget illas in virga ferrea tamquam vas figuli confringentur
They will rule them [severely as if they were striking them] [HYP] with an iron rod. They [will destroy those who do evil things] just like [people] shatter clay pots [MET].
28 sicut et ego accepi a Patre meo et dabo illi stellam matutinam
I will also enable [everyone who conquers Satan to shine gloriously like] the morning star [does] [MTY, MET].
29 qui habet aurem audiat quid Spiritus dicat ecclesiis
Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations.’”