Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
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 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold 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. | 2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. |
3I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. | 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. |
4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. | 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did 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. | 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. |
6Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. | 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. |
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. | 7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God. The Message to the Church in Smyrna |
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 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: |
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. | 9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to 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. | 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. |
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. | 11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. The Message to the Church in Pergamum |
12"Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: | 12 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-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. | 13 “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city. |
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. | 14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. |
15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. | 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. |
16So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. | 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and 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. | 17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. The Message to the Church in Thyatira |
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 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze: |
19I know your works--your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. | 19 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things. |
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. | 20 “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. |
21I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. | 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. |
22Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, | 22 “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. |
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. | 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. |
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. | 24 “But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you |
25Only hold on to what you have until I come. | 25 except that you hold tightly 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-- | 26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations. |
27and he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery -- | 27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. |
28just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. | 28 They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star! |
29"Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. | 29 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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