Isambulo 2
1 Kuso isithunywa sebandla leEfesu bhala uthi: Lezizinto uyazitsho lowo ophethe inkanyezi eziyisikhombisa esandleni sakhe sokunene, ohamba phakathi kweziqobane zezibane zegolide eziyisikhombisa,
“And to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write: Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2 uthi: Ngiyayazi imisebenzi yakho, lomsebenzi wakho onzima, lokubekezela kwakho, lokuthi ungebamele ababi, lokuthi ubahlolile labo abazithi bangabaphostoli kodwa bengeyisibo, wasubathola bengabaqambimanga,
I know your works, and your hardship and patient endurance, and that you cannot stand those who are evil. And so, you have tested those who declare themselves to be Apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars.
3 wasuthwala, ulokubekezela, wakhuthala ngenxa yebizo lami, kawudinwanga.
And you have patient endurance for the sake of my name, and you have not fallen away.
4 Kodwa ngilokumelene lawe ukuthi udelile uthando lwakho lwakuqala.
But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity.
5 Ngakho khumbula lapho owe khona, ubusuphenduka wenze imisebenzi yakuqala; uba kungenjalo, ngizakuza kuwe ngokuphangisa, ngizasusa isiqobane sesibane sakho endaweni yaso, uba ungaphenduki;
And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
6 kanti ulalokhu ukuthi uyayizonda imisebenzi yamaNikolayitha, engiyizondayo lami.
But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Lowo olendlebe kezwe lokho akutshoyo uMoya emabandleni. Onqobayo ngizamnika ukuthi adle okwesihlahla sempilo esiphakathi kweParadise likaNkulunkulu.
Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him who prevails, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of my God.
8 Lakuso isithunywa sebandla leSemerna bhala uthi: Lezizinto utsho owokuqala lowokucina, owayefile njalo uyaphila:
And to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna write: Thus says the First and the Last, he who was dead and now lives:
9 Ngiyayazi imisebenzi lokuhlupheka lobuyanga bakho (kanti unothile) lenhlamba yalabo abathi bangamaJuda, kanti bengeyisiwo, kodwa belisinagoge likaSathane.
I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich, and that you are blasphemed by those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, but who are a synagogue of Satan.
10 Ungesabi lutho lwalezozinto ozahlupheka ngazo; khangela udiyabhola uzaphosela abanye kini entolongweni, ukuze lilingwe; futhi lizakuba lenhlupheko insuku ezilitshumi. Bana ngothembekileyo kuze kube sekufeni, njalo ngizakunika umqhele wempilo.
You should fear nothing amid those things which you will suffer. Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tested. And you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give to you the crown of life.
11 Olendlebe kezwe lokho akutshoyo uMoya emabandleni. Onqobayo kasoze alinyazwa yikufa kwesibili.
Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. Whoever will prevail, he shall not be harmed by the second death.
12 Lakuso isithunywa sebandla elisePergamo bhala uthi: Lezizinto utsho lowo olenkemba ebukhali inhlangothi zombili:
And to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus write: Thus says he who holds the sharp two-edged spear:
13 Ngiyayazi imisebenzi yakho, lalapho ohlala khona, lapho okukhona isihlalo sobukhosi sikaSathane; njalo ugcinile ibizo lami, kawuphikanga ukholo lwami, ngitsho ensukwini zikaAntipasi, umfakazi wami othembekileyo, owabulawelwa phakathi kwenu, lapho uSathane ahlala khona;
I know where you dwell, where the seat of Satan is, and that you hold to my name and have not denied my faith, even in those days when Antipas was my faithful witness, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.
14 kodwa ngilezinto ezinlutshwana ezimelene lawe, ukuthi ulabo lapho ababambelela emfundisweni kaBalami, owafundisa uBalaki ukuphosa isikhubekiso phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, sokuthi badle okuhlatshelwe izithombe lokuthi baphinge.
But I have a few things against you. For you have, in that place, those who hold to the doctrine of Balaam, who instructed Balak to cast a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication.
15 Ngokunjalo lawe ulabo ababambelela emfundisweni yamaNikolayitha, into engiyizondayo.
And you also have those who hold to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.
16 Phenduka; uba kungenjalo, ngizakuza kuwe ngokuphangisa, ngizakulwa ngimelene labo ngenkemba yomlomo wami.
So do penance to the same extent. If you do less, I will come to you quickly and I will fight against these ones with the sword of my mouth.
17 Olendlebe kezwe lokho akutshoyo uMoya emabandleni. Onqobayo ngizamnika ukuthi adle okwemana efihliweyo, njalo ngizamnika ilitshe elimhlophe, laphezu kwelitshe ibizo elitsha elilotshiweyo, okungelamuntu olaziyo ngaphandle kolemukelayo.
Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him who prevails, I will give the hidden manna. And I will give to him a white emblem, and on the emblem, a new name has been written, which no one knows, except the one who receives it.
18 Lakuso isithunywa sebandla eliseTiyathira bhala uthi: Lezizinto itsho iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, elamehlo ayo anjengelangabi lomlilo, lenyawo zayo zifanana lethusi elikhazimulayo:
And to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira write: Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like shining brass.
19 Ngiyayazi imisebenzi yakho, lothando, lokukhonza, lokholo, lokubekezela kwakho, lemisebenzi yakho, ukuthi eyokucina minengi kuleyokuqala.
I know your works, and your faith and charity, and your ministry and patient endurance, and that your more recent works are greater than the earlier ones.
20 Kodwa ngilezinto ezinlutshwana ezimelene lawe, ukuthi uvumele owesifazana uJezebeli, ozibiza ngokuthi ungumprofethikazi, ukufundisa aduhise inceku zami, ukuthi ziphinge lokuthi zidle okuhlatshelwe izithombe.
But I have a few things against you. For you permit the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication and to eat the food of idolatry.
21 Futhi ngamnika ithuba lokuthi aphenduke ekufebeni kwakhe, njalo kaphendukanga.
And I gave her a time, so that she might do penance, but she is not willing to repent from her fornication.
22 Khangela mina ngizamphosela embhedeni, labaphingayo laye ekuhluphekeni okukhulu, uba bengaphenduki emisebenzini yabo.
Behold, I will cast her onto a bed, and those who commit adultery with her shall be in a very great tribulation, unless they repent from their works.
23 Njalo ngizabulala abantwana bakhe ngokufa; lamabandla wonke azakwazi ukuthi nginguye ohlola izinso lezinhliziyo; futhi ngizalinika, ngulowo lalowo, ngokwemisebenzi yenu.
And I will put her sons to death, and all the Churches shall know that I am the one who examines temperaments and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. But I say to you,
24 Kodwa ngikhuluma lani labanye abaseTiyathira, bonke abangelayo le imfundiso, labangakwaziyo okujulileyo kukaSathane, njengokutsho kwabo: Kangiyikulethesa omunye umthwalo.
and to the others who are at Thyatira: Whoever does not hold to this doctrine, and who has not ‘known the depths of Satan,’ as they say, I will not set any other weight upon you.
25 Kodwa lokho elilakho kubambisiseni, ngize ngifike.
Even so, that which you have, hold on to it until I return.
26 Lonqobayo logcina imisebenzi yami kuze kube sekupheleni, ngizamnika amandla phezu kwezizwe;
And whoever will prevail and will observe my works even unto the end, I will give to him authority over the nations.
27 njalo uzazibusa ngentonga yensimbi; zizaphahlazwa njengezimbiza zebumba; njengalokhu lami ngikwemukele kuBaba.
And he shall rule them with an iron rod, and they shall be broken like the earthenware of a potter.
28 Futhi ngizamnika indonsakusa.
The same I also have received from my Father. And I will give to him the morning star.
29 Olendlebe kezwe lokho akutshoyo uMoya emabandleni.
Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.”
