Isambulo 2
1 “Ingilosi yebandla lase-Efesu ilobele uthi: La ngamazwi akhe lowo ophethe izinkanyezi eziyisikhombisa esandleni sakhe sokunene ehamba phakathi kwezinti zezibane zegolide eziyisikhombisa.
“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 lampstands:
2 Ngiyazazi izenzo zakho lokusebenza kwakho nzima kanye lokubekezela kwakho. Ngiyakwazi ukuthi awungeke ubabekezelele abantu abaxhwalileyo lokuthi ubahlolile labo abathi bangabapostoli, kodwa bengayisibo, njalo wabafumana bengabalamanga.
I know yoʋr works, yoʋr labor, and yoʋr endurance. I know that yoʋ cannot tolerate those who are evil, and that yoʋ have tested those who declare themselves to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false.
3 Ubekezele waqinisela ebunzimeni ngenxa yebizo lami, kawaze wadinwa.
Yoʋ have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Kodwa ngilale insolo ngawe: Usuludelile uthando lwakho obulalo kuqala.
But I have this against yoʋ: Yoʋ have left yoʋr first love.
5 Khumbula isiqongo owe kuso! Phenduka wenze izinto owawuzenza kuqala. Nxa ungaphenduki, ngizakuza kuwe, ngisuse uluthi lwakho lwesibane endaweni yalo.
Therefore, remember where yoʋ have fallen from; repent and do the works yoʋ did at first. If yoʋ do not repent, I will come to yoʋ quickly and remove yoʋr lampstand from its place.
6 Kodwa ulalokhu okuhle ngawe: Uyayizonda imikhuba yamaNikholayitha, engiyizondayo lami.
Yet yoʋ do have this: Yoʋ hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Lowo olendlebe, akezwe okutshiwo nguMoya emabandleni. Lowo onqobayo ngizamnika ilungelo lokudla esihlahleni sokuphila esisepharadise kaNkulunkulu.”
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God.’
8 “Ingilosi yebandla laseSimina ilobele uthi: La ngamazwi akhe yena oyisiQalo lesiPhetho, owafayo wabuya wavuka.
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:
9 Ngiyazazi inhlupheko zakho kanye lobuyanga bakho, kanti-ke unothile! Ngiyakwazi ukuhlambaza kwalabo abathi bangamaJuda bengayisiwo, kodwa beyisinagogu kaSathane.
I know yoʋr works, yoʋr tribulation, and yoʋr poverty—yet yoʋ are rich! I know the slander of those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 Ungazesabi inhlupheko esezizakwehlela. Ngiyakutshela ukuthi uSathane uzabeka abanye benu entolongweni ukuba alilinge njalo lizahlukuluzwa okwensuku ezilitshumi. Thembeka, lanxa kuselungeni lokufa, mina ngizakupha umqhele wokuphila.
Do not be afraid of what yoʋ are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give yoʋ the crown of life.
11 Lowo olendlebe, akezwe okutshiwo nguMoya emabandleni. Lowo onqobayo kasoze alinyazwe lakancane yikufa kwesibili.”
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. He who overcomes will certainly not be harmed by the second death.’
12 “Ingilosi yebandla lasePhegamami ilobele uthi: La ngamazwi akhe lowo ophethe insingo.
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13 Ngiyakwazi lapho ohlala khona, lapho uSathane alesihlalo sakhe. Ikanti wena uqhubeke uqotho ebizweni lami. Kawukuphikanga ukukholwa kwakho kimi, lasezinsukwini zika-Antiphasi, ufakazi wami othembekileyo, owabulawayo edolobheni lakini, lapho uSathane ahlala khona.
I know yoʋr works and where yoʋ dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet yoʋ hold fast to my name, and yoʋ did not deny my faith in the days when Antipas was my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
14 Kodwa-ke, kulezinto ezimbalwa engilensolo ngazo kuwe: Kulabantu khonapho ababambelele emfundisweni kaBhalamu, owafundisa uBhalaki ukuhugela abako-Israyeli ekwenzeni isono ngokudla ukudla okwakunikelwe ezithombeni kanye langokuxhwala kobufebe.
But I have a few things against yoʋ: Yoʋ have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel and to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit fornication.
15 Njalo ulabanye ababambelele emfundisweni yamaNikholayitha.
In the same way, yoʋ also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16 Ngakho-ke, phenduka! Hlezi ngize kuwe ngilwe labo ngenkemba yomlomo wami.
Therefore repent. Otherwise, I will come to yoʋ quickly and make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 Lowo olendlebe, akezwe okutshiwo nguMoya emabandleni. Lowo onqobayo, ngizamupha enye yemana efihliweyo. Ngizamupha lelitshe elimhlophe okulotshwe kulo ibizo elitsha, elaziwa ngulowo kuphela olamukelayo.”
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone will be written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
18 “Ingilosi yebandla laseThiyathira ilobele uthi: La ngamazwi eNdodana kaNkulunkulu, emehlo ayo anjengomlilo ovuthayo lezinyawo zayo zinjengethusi elikhazimulayo.
“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze:
19 Ngiyayazi imisebenzi yakho, uthando lokholo lwakho, kanye lokuthi khathesi ususenza okunengi kulakuqala.
I know yoʋr works, yoʋr love and faith, yoʋr service and endurance, and that yoʋr latter works are greater than the ones yoʋ did at first.
20 Kodwa-ke, ngilale insolo ngawe: Uyambekezelela owesifazane lowana uJezebheli, ozibiza ngokuthi ngumphrofethikazi. Ngemfundiso yakhe udukisela izinceku zami ekuxhwaleni kobufebe lekudleni ukudla okunikelwe ezithombeni.
But I have this against yoʋ: Yoʋ tolerate yoʋr wife Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess while teaching and seducing my servants to commit fornication and eat food sacrificed to idols.
21 Ngimnike isikhathi ukuba aphenduke ekuxhwaleni kwakhe, kodwa kafuni.
I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication.
22 Ngakho ngizamphosela phezu kombheda wokuhlupheka, njalo labo afeba labo ngizabenza bahlupheke kakhulu, ngaphandle kokuba baphenduke ezindleleni zakhe.
Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent from her works.
23 Abantwabakhe ngizabatshaya bafe. Ngakho-ke, amabandla wonke azakwazi ukuthi mina nginguye ohlola inhliziyo lezingqondo njalo ngizavuza omunye lomunye wenu ngemisebenzi yenu.
I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
24 Manje-ke, ngithi kwabanye benu eThiyathira, kini elingabambelelanga emfundisweni yakhe njalo lingafundanga okuthiwa zimfihlo ezizikileyo zikaSathane, ‘Kangiyikulethesa omunye umthwalo,
But to the rest of you who are in Thyatira, who do not hold to this teaching and have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan—to you I say: I place no further burden upon you.
25 lina bambelelani kuphela kulokho elilakho ngize ngifike.’
Only hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 Lowo onqobayo esenza intando yami kuze kube sekupheleni ngizamnika amandla phezu kwezizwe,
To him who overcomes and keeps my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations,
27 ‘Uzazibusa ngentonga yensimbi; aziphahlaze zibe yizicucu njengokwenziwa ngebumba,’njengalokhu ngiphiwe amandla avela kuBaba.
and he will rule them with a rod of iron; like earthen vessels they will be shattered, just as I have received authority from my Father.
28 Ngizamupha lendonsakusa.
I will also give him the morning star.
29 Lowo olendlebe, akezwe okutshiwo nguMoya emabandleni.”
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.’
