Revelation 2
1 “To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:
[He also said to me], “Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Ephesus [city: ‘I] am saying these things [to you: I am] the one who firmly holds the seven stars in my right hand. [I am] the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 “I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false.
I know what you do: You labor [for me] intensely, and you continue [to serve me] steadfastly. [I know] that you cannot tolerate people [who teach what is] evil [MTY], and that you investigated people who falsely claimed that they are apostles, and you found that they were lying.
3 You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
[I know] also that you continue [to serve me] steadfastly. [Even when people] ([caused you to suffer/persecuted you]), you continued to serve [me] because [you believe] in me, and you have not become too tired [to keep on serving me].
4 But I have this against you, that you left your first love.
Nevertheless, I have [this complaint] against you: You no longer love [each other and me] as you did when you first [MTY] [trusted in me].
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent.
[So, I tell you to] remember how you used to love [me and each other, and] to [realize] that you no longer love as you did. [I tell] you to turn away from your sin [of not loving me and each other], and start loving [each other and me again] as you did at first. If you do not turn away from your sinful behavior, I will come [to judge] you and cause your group to cease to be a Christian congregation [MET].
6 But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But you have the following good quality: Those Nicolaitans [teach you believers that you can worship idols and that you may act immorally]. However, you hate such teaching, just like I also hate it.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.
Everyone who wants to understand my message [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations. To everyone who overcomes [Satan], I will give the right to eat [fruit] [MTY] from the tree [that gives] eternal life, the tree that is in God’s garden.’”
8 “To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
“Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Smyrna [city: ‘I am] saying these things [to you. I am] the one who caused [everything to have a beginning] and [who will cause all things to] end. I am the one who died and became alive [again].
9 “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
I know that you suffer [because of what unbelievers do to you], and that you lack [material possessions]. But [I also know that] you are [spiritually] [MET] rich. [I know] that people (slander/say evil things about) you. They say that they are Jews, but I do not [consider that they are Jews. I consider that] they [belong to] the group that Satan [controls]!
10 Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Do not be afraid of any of the things that you are about to suffer. The truth is that the devil is about to [put] some of you in prison, to tempt you [to deny that you believe in me]. For a short period of time you will suffer [because of what people will do to you] [MTY]. Continue to trust in me, [even if] they kill you [because you trust in me]. As a result, I will [reward you with] eternal life, [just like] [MET] [people reward a victorious athlete by putting] a wreath [on his head].
11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.
Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations. [After] those who conquer [Satan die], they will live with God. They will never suffer again, even though many others will suffer as though they died a second time.’”
12 “To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write: “He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things:
“Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Pergamum [city: ‘I am] saying these things [to you. I am] the one who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13 “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
I know where you live: It is where Satan controls [MTY] [people]. [I know] that you firmly believe in me [MTY]. You did not deny that you believe/trust in me, not even in the time when Antipas, (my faithful witness/who faithfully told people about me), [was alive]. He was killed {People killed him} in your city, a city where [people] habitually obey Satan.
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
Nevertheless, I have this [complaint] against you: You permit some of your [members] to teach things like Balaam [taught long ago. He] taught Balak to persuade the Israeli people to sin. [Specifically], he taught them to eat food that had been offered to idols, and to practice sexual immorality.
15 So also you likewise have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
In that way, you are also permitting some of [your members] to practice what the Nicolaitans teach, [which is like what Balaam taught].
16 Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
So you must stop doing [this]. If [you do] not stop doing [it], I will come to you suddenly. Using the words that I will say I will fight against those [who believe this false teaching] [MTY], and I will ([condemn them/say that they must be punished]).
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.
Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations. To everyone who conquers [Satan], I will give [blessings that will be like] the [food called] manna [that is in a jar] that is {that someone has} hidden. I will also give them a white stone on which [I will] engrave a new name, a name that no one but the ones who receive it will know.’”
18 “To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write: “The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things:
“Write [this message] to the leader [MET] of the congregation in Thyatira [city: ‘I], (the Son of God/the one who is also God), am saying these things [to you: I am] the one whose eyes [shine] [SIM] like a flame of fire, and whose feet [shine] [MET] like fine brass.
19 “I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first.
I know that you love [me and each other], and that you trust [in me]. I know that you serve [others] and that you steadfastly endure [a lot of difficulties/trials. I know] that you are doing these things more now than [you have done them] in the past.
20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Nevertheless, I have this [complaint] about you: You tolerate that woman [among your members who is like] [MET] [that wicked queen] Jezebel [who lived long ago]. She says that she (is a prophetess/proclaims messages that come directly from God), but through what she teaches she is deceiving my servants. She is urging them to commit sexual immorality and to eat food that they have offered to idols.
21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
Although I gave her time to stop [her sexual immorality and pagan practices], she did not want to stop [doing them].
22 Behold, I will throw her and those who commit adultery with her into a bed of great oppression, unless they repent of her works.
[As a result], I will cause her to become very ill [MTY]. I will also cause those [who act immorally as she does] [MET] to suffer greatly, if they do not stop [doing] what she does.
23 I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
Some [have become like] her children by doing [what she teaches] [MET]; I will certainly get rid of them. As a result, all the congregations will recognize that I am the one who finds out what everyone thinks and desires [MTY]. I will reward each of you according to what you have done.
24 But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira—as many as don’t have this teaching, who don’t know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan’—to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you.
But I have something good to say about the rest [of you believers] in Thyatira. [It is good] that you do not accept that [false] teaching. [It is good that you reject] what those [teachers] call their ‘secret [practices’, practices that] Satan [inspired] (OR, what those teachers [facetiously] call the secret, profound [practices that] Satan [inspires]). I will not burden you with any commands [other than that which you already have been told].
25 Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come.
Just keep [believing firmly in me, and obey me] until I return.
26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.
As for those who conquer [Satan] and who (OR, [because] they) keep on doing what I command until they die, I will give them authority, just like I myself received it from my Father. [They will exercise that authority] over the nations [that rebel against God].
27 He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots, as I also have received of my Father;
They will rule them [severely as if they were striking them] [HYP] with an iron rod. They [will destroy those who do evil things] just like [people] shatter clay pots [MET].
28 and I will give him the morning star.
I will also enable [everyone who conquers Satan to shine gloriously like] the morning star [does] [MTY, MET].
29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.
Everyone who wants to understand [MTY] must listen carefully to the message that [God’s] Spirit speaks to the congregations.’”
