2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks ①among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
▷ ①Lit in the middle of
2:2 ‘I know your deeds and your labor and ①perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
▷ ①Or steadfastness
2:3 and you have ①perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary.
▷ ①Or steadfastness
2:4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
2:5 Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the ①deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
▷ ①Lit first deeds
2:6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
2:7 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’
2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who ①was dead, and has come to life, says this:
▷ ①Lit became
2:9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the ①slander by those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
▷ ①Or blasphemy
2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. ①Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
▷ ①Or Prove yourself faithful
2:11 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:
2:13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold firmly to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a ①stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.
▷ ①I.e., a temptation to sin
2:15 So you too, have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
2:16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.
2:17 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.’
2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has ①eyes like a flame of fire, and ②feet like burnished bronze, says this:
▷ ①Lit His eyes ②Lit His feet
2:19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and ①perseverance, and that your ②deeds of late are greater than ③at first.
▷ ①Or steadfastness ②Lit last deeds ③Lit the first
2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
2:21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.
2:22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ①her deeds.
▷ ①One early ms their
2:23 And I will kill her children with ①plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the ②minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
▷ ①Lit death; i.e., a particular kind of death ②Lit kidneys; i.e., inner man
2:24 But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you.
2:25 Nevertheless what you have, hold firmly until I come.
2:26 The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the ①nations;
▷ ①Or Gentiles
2:27 AND HE SHALL ①RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE SHATTERED, as I also have received authority from My Father;
▷ ①Lit shepherd
2:28 and I will give him the morning star.
2:29 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’