| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1"Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: "The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: | 1"To the messenger of the church in Ephesus, write: 'The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands, says this: |
| 2I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. | 2I know what you've been doing, your toil, and your endurance. I also know that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles, but are not, and have found them to be false. |
| 3You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. | 3You have endured and suffered because of my name, yet you have not grown weary. |
| 4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. | 4However, I have this against you: You have abandoned 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. | 5Therefore, remember how far you have fallen. Repent and go back to what you were doing at first. If you don't, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place—unless you repent. |
| 6Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. | 6But this is to your credit: You hate the actions of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. |
| 7"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God's paradise. | 7Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life that is in God's paradise.'" |
| 8"Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: "The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life, says: | 8"To the messenger of the church in Smyrna, write: 'The first and the last, who was dead and became alive, says this: |
| 9I know your affliction and poverty, yet 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 suffering and your poverty—though you are rich—and the slander committed by those who claim to be Jews but are not. They are the 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 have affliction for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. | 10Don't be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. For ten days you will undergo suffering. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the victor's crown of life. |
| 11"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death. | 11Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be hurt by the second death.'" |
| 12"Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: "The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword says: | 12"To the messenger of the church in Pergamum, write: 'The one who holds the sharp, two-edged sword, says this: |
| 13I know where you live--where Satan's throne is! And 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 killed among you, where Satan lives. | 13I know where you live. Satan's throne is there. Yet you hold on to my name and have not denied your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed in your presence, 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. | 14But I have a few things against you: You have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam, the one who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality. |
| 15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. | 15You also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. |
| 16Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. | 16So repent. If you don't, I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth. |
| 17"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor 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. | 17Let everyone 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. On the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the person who receives it.'" |
| 18"Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: "The Son of God, the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze, says: | 18"To the messenger of the church in Thyatira, write: 'The Son of God, whose eyes are like flaming fire and whose feet are like glowing bronze, says this: |
| 19I know your works--your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your last works are greater than the first. | 19I know what you've been doing—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance—and that your last actions are greater than the first. |
| 20But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. | 20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and who teaches and leads my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. |
| 21I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. | 21I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her immorality. |
| 22Look! I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her practices. | 22Look! I am going to strike her with illness. Those who commit adultery with her will also suffer greatly, unless they repent from acting like her. |
| 23I will kill her children with the plague. 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 the one who searches minds and hearts. I will reward each of you as your actions deserve. |
| 24I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven't known the deep things of Satan--as they say--I do not put any other burden on you. | 24But as for the rest of you in Thyatira—you who do not hold to this teaching and who have not learned what some people call the deep things of Satan—I won't burden you with anything else. |
| 25But hold on to what you have until I come. | 25Just hold on to what you have until I come. |
| 26The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations-- | 26To the person who conquers and continues to do what I've commanded to the end, I will give authority over the nations. |
| 27and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery -- just as I have received this from My Father. | 27He will rule them with an iron scepter; shattering them like clay pots.' |
| 28I will also give him the morning star. | 28Just as I have received authority from my Father, I will also give him the morning star. |
| 29"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. | 29Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'" |
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