Revelation, 2

1. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

1. Write this 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:

2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

2. I know your works, your difficulties and your patient suffering. I know you cannot tolerate evildoers but have tested those who call themselves apostles and have proved them to be liars.

3. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

3. You have persevered and have suffered for my name without losing heart.

4. Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

4. Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you: you have lost your first love.

5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

5. Remember from where you have fallen and repent, and do what you used to do before. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place; this I will do, unless you repent.

6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

6. Yet it is in your favor that you hate the doings of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

7. Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches: To the victor I will give to eat of the tree of life which is in God's Paradise."

8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

8. Write this to the angel of the Church in Smyrna, "Thus says the First and the Last, he who was dead and returned to life:

9. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and [I know] the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but [are] the synagogue of Satan.

9. I know your trials and your poverty: you are rich indeed. I know how you are slandered by those who pretend to be Jews but are not, for they are, in fact, the synagogue of Satan.

10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

10. Do not be afraid of what will happen to you. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you and there will be ten days of trials. Remain faithful even to death and I will give you the crown of life.

11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

11. Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches: The victor has nothing to fear from the second death."

12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

12. Write this to the angel of the Church in Pergamum, "Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword:

13. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, [even] where Satan's seat [is]: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

13. I know where you live, where Satan's throne is, but you cling firmly to my name; you have not renounced me, not even in the days when Antipas, my faithful witness, was killed in your place, where Satan lives.

14. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

14. Nevertheless, I have a few complaints against you: Some among you hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak how to make the Israelites stumble by eating food sacrificed to idols and comitting adultery.

15. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

15. Also, among you some follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

16. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

16. Therefore, repent; if not, I will come to you soon to attack these people with the sword of my mouth.

17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].

17. Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches: To the victor I will give the hidden manna. And I will also give a white stone with a new name written on it which no one knows except the one who receives it."

18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet [are] like fine brass;

18. Write this to the angel of the Church in Thyatira, "Thus says the Son of God whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last [to be] more than the first.

19. I know your works: your love, faith, service, patient endurance and your later works, greater than the first.

20. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

20. Nevertheless, I have a complaint against you: you tolerate your Jezebel, this woman who calls herself a prophetess and is deceiving my servants; she teaches them prostitution and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

21. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

21. I have given her time to repent but she is unwilling to leave her prostitution.

22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

22. So I am going to throw her onto a bed and inflict severe trials on her partners in adultery unless they repent of their evil.

23. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

23. I will strike her children dead and all the Churches will know that I am he who probes the heart and mind; I will give each of you what your conduct deserves.

24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

24. Listen to me now, the rest of you in Thyatira. You do not hold with this teaching and have not learned 'the secrets,' as they are called which are, in fact, those of Satan. So I have no cause to reproach you,

25. But that which ye have [already] hold fast till I come.

25. only hold on to what you have, until I come.

26. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

26. To the victor who keeps to my ways to the end, I will give power over the nations,

27. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

27. to rule them with an iron rod and shatter them like earthen pots; he will be like me, who received this power from my Father.

28. And I will give him the morning star.

28. Moreover, I will give him the Morning Star.

29. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

29. Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches."