Christian Standard Bible | New International Version |
1"Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands: | 1"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 walks among the seven golden lampstands. |
2I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. | 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. |
3I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. | 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. |
4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. | 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. |
5Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. | 5Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. |
6Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. | 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. |
7"Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. | 7Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. |
8"Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life: | 8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. |
9I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. | 9I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. |
10Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. | 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. |
11"Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death. | 11Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death. |
12"Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: | 12"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. |
13I know where you live--where Satan's throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness who was put to death among you, where Satan lives. | 13I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where Satan lives. |
14But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. | 14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. |
15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. | 15Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. |
16So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. | 16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. |
17"Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it. | 17Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. |
18"Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze: | 18"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. |
19I know your works--your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. | 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. |
20But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. | 20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. |
21I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. | 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. |
22Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, | 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. |
23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. | 23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. |
24I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven't known "the so-called secrets of Satan"--as they say--I am not putting any other burden on you. | 24Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you, |
25Only hold on to what you have until I come. | 25except to hold on to what you have until I come.' |
26The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations-- | 26To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-- |
27and he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery -- | 27that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery' --just as I have received authority from my Father. |
28just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. | 28I will also give that one the morning star. |
29"Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. | 29Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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