New International Version | International Standard Version |
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. | 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 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. | 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 have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. | 3You have endured and suffered because of my name, yet you have not grown weary. |
4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. | 4However, I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. |
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. | 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. |
6But you have this in your favor: 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. |
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. | 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"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. | 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 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. | 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. |
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. | 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. |
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. | 11Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be hurt by the second death.'" |
12"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. | 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 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. | 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. |
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. | 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. |
15Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. | 15You also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. |
16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will 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. |
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. | 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"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. | 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 deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. | 19I know what you've been doing—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance—and that your last actions are greater than the first. |
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. | 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 have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. | 21I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her immorality. |
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. | 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 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. | 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. |
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, | 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. |
25except to hold on to what you have until I come.' | 25Just hold on to what you have until I come. |
26To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give 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. |
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. | 27He will rule them with an iron scepter; shattering them like clay pots.' |
28I will also give that one the morning star. | 28Just as I have received authority from my Father, I will also give him the morning star. |
29Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. | 29Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'" |
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. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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