| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 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: | 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 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. | 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 have endured and suffered because of my name, yet you 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. |
| 4However, 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! |
| 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. | 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. |
| 6But this is to your credit: You hate the actions 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. |
| 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.'" | 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"To the messenger of the church in Smyrna, write: 'The first and the last, who was dead and became alive, says this: | 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 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 11Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be hurt 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"To the messenger of the church in Pergamum, write: 'The one who holds the sharp, two-edged sword, says this: | 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. 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 15You also have some 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. |
| 16So repent. If you don't, I will come to you quickly and wage war 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. |
| 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.'" | 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"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: | 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 what you've been doing—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance—and that your last actions 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 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. | 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 refused to repent of her immorality. | 21I have given her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality. |
| 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 25Just hold on to what you have until I come. | 25However, hold on to what you have until I come. |
| 26To the person who conquers and continues to do what I've commanded to the end, I will give 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-- |
| 27He will rule them with an iron scepter; shattering them like clay pots.' | 27he will rule them with an iron rod and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, |
| 28Just as I have received authority from my Father, I 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. |
| 29Let everyone 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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