| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 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 angel of the church in Ephesus, write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp on the seven stars in his right hand--the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands: |
| 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 your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false. |
| 3You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. | 3I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. |
| 4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. | 4But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love! |
| 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 from what high state you have fallen and repent! Do the deeds you did at the first; if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place--that is, if you do not repent. |
| 6Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. | 6But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice--practices 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. | 7The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will permit him to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.' |
| 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 angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but came to life: |
| 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 the distress you are suffering and your poverty (but you are rich). I also know the slander against you by those who call themselves Jews and really 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 have affliction for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. | 10Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown into prison so you may be tested, and you will experience suffering for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. |
| 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. | 11The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will in no way be harmed 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 angel of the church in Pergamum write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has the sharp double-edged sword: |
| 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--where Satan's throne is. Yet you continue to cling to my name and you have not denied your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed 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. | 14But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. |
| 15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. | 15In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. |
| 16Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. | 16Therefore, repent! If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people 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. | 17The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand except the one 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 angel of the church in Thyatira write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the Son of God, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished bronze: |
| 19I know your works--your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your last works are greater than the first. | 19I know your deeds: your love, faith, service, and steadfast endurance. In fact, your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones. |
| 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 prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual 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 have given her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual 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 throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, unless they repent of her deeds. |
| 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. | 23Furthermore, I will strike her followers with a deadly disease, and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay each one of you what your deeds 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 to the rest of you in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching (who have not learned the so-called "deep secrets of Satan"), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden on you. |
| 25But hold on to what you have until I come. | 25However, 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-- | 26And to the one who conquers and who continues in my deeds until the end, I will give him 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 rod and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, |
| 28I will also give him the morning star. | 28just as I have received the right to rule from my Father--and I will give him the morning star. |
| 29"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. | 29The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' |
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