Adiyisɛm 2
1 “Twerɛ krataa yi kɔma ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔtua Efeso asafo no ano, na ka kyerɛ no sɛ: Yei ne nsɛm a ɛfiri obi a ɔkura nsoromma nson wɔ ne nsa nifa mu a ɔnante wɔ sika nkaneadua nson no ntam no.
[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 Menim deɛ woayɛ. Menim nsi a wode ayɛ adwuma ne boasetɔ a wowɔ. Menim sɛ wonnye nnebɔneyɛfoɔ, na afei woasɔ wɔn a wɔka sɛ wɔyɛ asomafoɔ nanso wɔnnyɛ bi no ahwɛ, na woahunu sɛ wɔyɛ atorofoɔ.
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 Wowɔ boasetɔ, na me enti, woahunu amane bebree, nanso wompaa aba.
[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 Nanso, deɛ mewɔ tia wo ne sɛ, wonnɔ me, sɛdeɛ kan no na wodɔ me no.
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 Hunu ba a woaba fam no. Te wo ho firi bɔne ho na yɛ sɛdeɛ kane no na woyɛ no. Sɛ woantwe wo ho amfiri wo bɔne ho a, mɛba wo nkyɛn na mabɛyi wo kaneadua no afiri ne siberɛ.
[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 Nanso, deɛ ɛyɛ wɔ wo ho ne sɛ, wokyiri deɛ Nikolaifoɔ no yɛ no, na saa ara na me nso mekyiri.
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 Deɛ ɔwɔ aso no ntie deɛ Honhom no ka kyerɛ asafo ahodoɔ no bi. Wɔn a wɔadi nkonim no, mɛma wɔn tumi na wɔadi nkwadua a ɛwɔ Onyankopɔn paradise hɔ.
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 “Twerɛ krataa yi kɔma ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔtua Smirna asafo no ano sɛ: Saa asɛm yi firi Ahyɛaseɛ ne Awieeɛ no nkyɛn. Deɛ ɔwuiɛ na ɔnyaneeɛ no.
“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 Menim amane a wohunu maa Awurade na menim wʼahiasɛm nyinaa nso, nanso wowɔ agyapadeɛ wɔ ɔsoro. Menim nsɛm a wɔn a wɔse wɔyɛ Yudafoɔ nanso wɔnyɛ Yudafoɔ no ka tia wo. Wɔyɛ ɔbonsam apamfoɔ.
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 Nsuro ɔhaw a ɛrebɛto wo no. Tie! Wɔde mo mu bi bɛto afiase na ɔbonsam nam so asɔ mo ahwɛ. Na mo haw bɛdi dadu. Sɛ owuo mu mpo a, gye me di na mɛma wo nkwa abotire.
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 Deɛ ɔwɔ aso no ntie deɛ Honhom no ka kyerɛ asafo no. Wɔn a wɔdi nkonim no renwu owuprenu.
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 “Twerɛ krataa yi kɔma ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔwɔ Pergamo asafo mu sɛ: Saa krataa yi firi deɛ ɔwɔ akofena anofanu a ɛyɛ nnam no nkyɛn.
“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 Menim sɛ faako a wote no, ɛhɔ na ɔbonsam ahennwa si. Wodi me nokorɛ; na ɛberɛ a wɔkumm Antipa a ɔyɛ ɔdanseni nokwafoɔ wɔ faako a ɔbonsam te no mpo, woampa me.
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 Nanso, nneɛma kakra a mewɔ tia wo ne sɛ, nnipa bi a wɔdi Bileam nkyerɛkyerɛakyi no ka wo ho wɔ hɔ. Saa Bileam no na ɔkyerɛɛ Balak maa ɔmaa Israelfoɔ dii abosom so nnuane, kyerɛɛ wɔn adwamammɔ, nam so ma wɔyɛɛ bɔne no.
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 Saa ara nso na wowɔ nnipa bi ka wo ho a wɔdi Nikolaifoɔ nkyerɛkyerɛ akyi.
In that way, you are also permitting some of [your members] to practice what the Nicolaitans teach, [which is like what Balaam taught].
16 Twe wo ho firi wo bɔne ho. Anyɛ saa a, ɛrenkyɛre biara mɛba wo nkyɛn, na mede sekan a ɛfiri mʼanom no abɛko atia saa nnipa no.
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 Deɛ ɔwɔ aso no ntie deɛ Honhom no ka kyerɛ asafo ahodoɔ no. Mo a moadi nkonim no, mɛma mo mana a ahinta no bi. Afei, mɛma wɔn mu biara ɛboɔ fitaa a wɔatwerɛ din foforɔ wɔ so a obiara nnim, gye onipa a wɔde bɛma no no.
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 “Twerɛ krataa kɔma ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔwɔ Tiatira asafo mu sɛ: Yei ne asɛm a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn Ba no a nʼani dɛre sɛ ogyaframa a ne nan ase hyerɛn sɛ ayowaa no nkyɛn.
“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 Menim deɛ woyɛ. Menim wo dɔ, wo gyidie, wo som ne boasetɔ a wowɔ. Menim sɛ woreyɛ adwuma sene kane no.
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 Nanso deɛ mewɔ tia wo ne sɛ, wogyee ɔbaa bi a ne din de Isabel, a ɔfrɛ ne ho, Onyankopɔn odiyifoɔ no too mu. Saa ɔbaa yi kyerɛkyerɛ, na ɔdi mʼasomafoɔ anim ma wɔbɔ adwaman di abosom aduane.
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 Mama no ɛberɛ sɛ ɔnnu ne ho mfiri ne bɔne mu, nanso ɔmpɛ sɛ ɔsakyera firi nʼadwamammɔ mu.
Although I gave her time to stop [her sexual immorality and pagan practices], she did not want to stop [doing them].
22 Ɛno enti, sɛ wɔansesa amfiri amumuyɛ a wɔne no yɛeɛ no mu a, mɛto no ahwe mpa so na ɔno ne wɔn a wɔsɛe awadeɛ no ahunu amane a ano yɛ den yie.
[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 Afei, mɛkum nʼakyidifoɔ no, na asafo no nyinaa bɛhunu sɛ mene obi a mehunu nnipa adwene mu ne wɔn akɔnnɔ. Deɛ mo mu biara yɛeɛ no, mɛtua no so ka pɛpɛɛpɛ.
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 Nanso, momu bi a mowɔ Tiatira no nni saa nkyerɛkyerɛ bɔne no akyi. Monsuaa deɛ afoforɔ frɛ no ‘Ɔbonsam asumansɛm’ no. Meka mekyerɛ mo sɛ, meremfa adesoa foforɔ biara nto mo so.
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 Na monsɔ deɛ mowɔ no mu denden kɔsi sɛ mɛba.
Just keep [believing firmly in me, and obey me] until I return.
26 Wɔn a wɔdi nkonim na wɔkɔ so yɛ deɛ mepɛ kɔsi awieeɛ no, mede tumi korɔ no ara a menya firii
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 mʼAgya hɔ no bɛma wɔn. Mɛma wɔn aman so tumi na wɔde dadeɛ poma adi wɔn so na wɔabobɔ wɔn sɛ nkukuo.
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 Afei, mede anɔpa nsoromma bɛma wɔn.
I will also enable [everyone who conquers Satan to shine gloriously like] the morning star [does] [MTY, MET].
29 Deɛ ɔwɔ aso no ntie deɛ Honhom no ka kyerɛ asafo no.
Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations.’”
