Revelation 2
New American Standard Bible
Message to Ephesus
2 “To the angel of the church in (A)Ephesus write:
The One who holds (B)the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks [a](C)among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
2 ‘(D)I know your deeds and your labor and [b]perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have (E)put those who call themselves (F)apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have [c]perseverance and have endured (G)on account of My name, and have not become weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have (H)left your first love. 5 Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and (I)repent, and (J)do the [d]deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your (K)lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the (L)Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 (M)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (N)To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from (O)the tree of life, which is in the (P)Paradise of God.’
Message to Smyrna
8 “And to the angel of the church in (Q)Smyrna write:
(R)The first and the last, who [e](S)was dead, and has come to life, says this:
9 ‘I know your (T)tribulation and your (U)poverty (but you are (V)rich), and the [f]slander by those who (W)say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of (X)Satan. 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 (Y)tested, and you will have tribulation (Z)for ten days. [g]Be (AA)faithful until death, and I will give you (AB)the crown of life. 11 (AC)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (AD)The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the (AE)second death.’
Message to Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in (AF)Pergamum write:
The One who has (AG)the sharp two-edged sword says this:
13 ‘I know where you dwell, where (AH)Satan’s throne is; and you hold firmly to My name, and did not deny (AI)My faith even in the days of Antipas, My (AJ)witness, My (AK)faithful one, who was killed among you, (AL)where Satan dwells. 14 But (AM)I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the (AN)teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a [h]stumbling block before the sons of Israel, (AO)to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. 15 So you too, have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the (AP)Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore (AQ)repent; or else (AR)I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with (AS)the sword of My mouth. 17 (AT)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (AU)To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden (AV)manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a (AW)new name written on the stone (AX)which no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Message to Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the church in (AY)Thyatira write:
(AZ)The Son of God, (BA)who has [i]eyes like a flame of fire, and [j]feet like burnished bronze, says this:
19 ‘(BB)I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and [k]perseverance, and that your [l]deeds of late are greater than [m]at first. 20 But (BC)I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman (BD)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they (BE)commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 (BF)I gave her time to repent, and she (BG)does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who (BH)commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of [n]her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with [o]plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who (BI)searches the [p]minds and hearts; and (BJ)I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 But I say to you, the rest who are in (BK)Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the (BL)deep things of Satan, as they call them—I (BM)place no other burden on you. 25 Nevertheless (BN)what you have, hold firmly (BO)until I come. 26 (BP)The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds (BQ)until the end, (BR)I will give him authority over the [q]nations; 27 and he shall [r](BS)rule them with a rod of iron, (BT)as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him (BU)the morning star. 29 (BV)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Footnotes
- Revelation 2:1 Lit in the middle of
- Revelation 2:2 Or steadfastness
- Revelation 2:3 Or steadfastness
- Revelation 2:5 Lit first deeds
- Revelation 2:8 Lit became
- Revelation 2:9 Or blasphemy
- Revelation 2:10 Or Prove yourself faithful
- Revelation 2:14 I.e., a temptation to sin
- Revelation 2:18 Lit His eyes
- Revelation 2:18 Lit His feet
- Revelation 2:19 Or steadfastness
- Revelation 2:19 Lit last deeds
- Revelation 2:19 Lit the first
- Revelation 2:22 One early ms their
- Revelation 2:23 Lit death; i.e., a particular kind of death
- Revelation 2:23 Lit kidneys; i.e., inner man
- Revelation 2:26 Or Gentiles
- Revelation 2:27 Lit shepherd
Revelation 2
The Voice
As the story unfolds, we’re told that the lampstands signify the churches. During harsh times of persecution, the faithful often wonder where their Master is. Is He even aware of what they are experiencing? John’s vision confirms what the gospel already teaches: Jesus is present with them even in their suffering, moving among those who dare to bear the light. Lampstands, of course, are not the light. They only carry the light. The true Light that has come into the world is none other than Jesus, the Son of Man (John 8:28).
Letter to Ephesus
2 The One: Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Ephesus. “These are the words of the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks and moves among the golden lampstands:
2 “I know your deeds, your tireless labor, and your patient endurance. I know you do not tolerate those who do evil. Furthermore, you have diligently tested those who claim to be emissaries,[a] and you have found that they are not true witnesses. You have correctly found them to be false. 3 I know you are patiently enduring and holding firm on behalf of My name. You have not become faint.
4 “However, I have this against you: you have abandoned your first love. 5 Do you remember what it was like before you fell? It’s time to rethink and change your ways;[b] go back to how you first acted. However, if you do not return,[c] I will come quickly[d] and personally remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you do have this to your credit: you despise the deeds of the Nicolaitans and how they concede to evil. I also hate what they do.
7 “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches. I will allow the one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death to eat from the tree of life found in God’s lush paradise.”
Letter to Smyrna
8 Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Smyrna. “These are the words of the First and the Last, the One who was dead and returned to life:
9 “I know [your deeds and][e] the difficult ordeal you are enduring and your poverty, although you are actually rich. I am aware of the offensive accusations preached by those who call themselves ‘Jews.’ But these people are not the Jews they pretend to be; they are actually the congregation of Satan. 10 In the face of suffering, do not fear. Watch; the devil will throw some of you into prison shortly so that you might be tested, and you will endure great affliction for 10 days. Be faithful throughout your life, until the day you die, and I will give you the victor’s wreath of life.
11 “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches. The one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death will escape the second death.”
Letter to Pergamum
12 Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Pergamum. “These are the words of the One with the sharp double-edged sword:
13 “I know [your deeds and][f] where you live. It is where Satan, the adversary, has established his throne. You have stayed true to My name, and you did not deny your trust in Me even in the eventful days of My faithful witness, Antipas. He was killed among you in that place where Satan dwells.
14 “However, I have a few matters against you: some who live among you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to set up a stumbling block before the people of Israel.[g] As a result, some among you are eating food prepared for idol worship and committing immoral sexual acts. 15 You have others who are holding firm to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore, change your ways and turn to Me.[h] If you do not, I will quickly come to where you live and will battle them with the sword of My mouth.
17 “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches. To the one who conquers through faithfulness even unto death, I will feed you with hidden manna and give you a white stone. Upon this stone, a new name is engraved. No one knows this name except for its recipient.”
Letter to Thyatira
18 Write down My words, and send them to the messenger of the church in Thyatira. “These are the words of the Son of God, the One whose eyes blaze like flames of fire and whose feet gleam like brightly polished bronze:
19 “I know your deeds, love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. Your labors greatly increase in quality as you travel along this journey.
20 “However, I have this against you: you have tolerated that woman Jezebel, who is a self-anointed prophetess and who misleads My followers to commit immoral sexual acts and to eat food prepared for idol worship. 21 I have provided her enough time to turn away[i] from her indecency, but she refuses to turn from these immoral acts. 22 Watch; I will throw her back into her sickbed with those who committed adultery with her, and I will make them a bed of great affliction if they do not abandon her indiscretions and turn[j] to follow Me. 23 I will punish her by striking her children dead. Through this all the churches will know I am the One who relentlessly explores the mind and heart, and I will deal with each of you as you deserve according to your acts.
24 “I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, those who have not held to the teachings of Jezebel and who remain ignorant of the real meaning of what is called the deep things of Satan, I will not burden you with anything more. 25 Just keep on task, and keep the faith until I return.
26 “And as for those who conquer through faithfulness even unto death and continue to labor with Me until the close of the final curtain,
I will give them authority over the nations.
27 And they will rule the nations with an iron scepter,
as fragile clay jars are shattered to pieces.[k]
As I received this authority from My Father, 28 I will bestow the morning star to the victor.
29 “Let the person who is able to hear, listen to and follow what the Spirit proclaims to all the churches.”
Footnotes
- 2:2 Literally, apostles
- 2:5 Literally, repent
- 2:5 Literally, repent
- 2:5 Some manuscripts omit “quickly.”
- 2:9 The earliest manuscripts omit this portion.
- 2:13 The earliest manuscripts omit this portion.
- 2:14 Numbers 22–24
- 2:16 Literally, repent
- 2:21 Literally, repent
- 2:22 Literally, repent
- 2:26–27 Psalm 2:8–9
Revelation 2
Contemporary English Version
The Letter to Ephesus
2 This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Ephesus:
I am the one who holds the seven stars in my right hand, and I walk among the seven gold lampstands. Listen to what I say.
2 I know everything you have done, including your hard work and how you have endured. I know you won't put up with anyone who is evil. When some people pretended to be apostles, you tested them and found out they were liars. 3 You have endured and gone through hard times because of me, yet you have not given up.
4 But I do have something against you! And it is this: You don't have as much love as you used to. 5 Think about where you have fallen from, and then turn back and do as you did at first. If you don't turn back, I will come and take away your lampstand. 6 But there is one thing you are doing right. You hate what the Nicolaitans[a] are doing, and so do I.
7 (A) If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will let everyone who wins the victory eat from the life-giving tree in God's wonderful garden.
The Letter to Smyrna
8 (B) This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Smyrna:
I am the first and the last. I died, but now I am alive! Listen to what I say.
9 I know how much you suffer and how poor you are, but you are rich. I also know the cruel things being said about you by people who claim to be God's people. But they are not really God's people. They are a group that belongs to Satan.
10 Don't worry about what you will suffer. The devil will throw some of you into jail, and you will be tested and made to suffer for ten days. But if you are faithful until you die, I will reward you with a glorious life.[b]
11 (C) If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Whoever wins the victory will not be hurt by the second death.[c]
The Letter to Pergamum
12 This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Pergamum:
I am the one who has the sharp double-edged sword! Listen to what I say.
13 I know you live where Satan has his throne.[d] But you have kept true to my name. Right there where Satan lives, my faithful witness Antipas[e] was taken from you and put to death. Even then you did not give up your faith in me.
14 (D) I do have a few things against you. Some of you are following the teaching of Balaam.[f] Long ago he told Balak to teach the people of Israel to eat food that had been offered to idols and to be immoral. 15 Now some of you are following the teaching of the Nicolaitans.[g] 16 Turn back! If you don't, I will come quickly and fight against these people. And my words will cut like a sword.
17 (E) If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To everyone who wins the victory, I will give some of the hidden food.[h] I will also give each one a white stone[i] with a new name[j] written on it. No one will know that name except the one who is given the stone.
The Letter to Thyatira
18 This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Thyatira:
I am the Son of God! My eyes are like flames of fire, and my feet are like bronze. Listen to what I say.
19 I know everything about you, including your love, your faith, your service, and how you have endured. I know you are doing more now than you have ever done before. 20 (F) But I still have something against you because of that woman Jezebel.[k] She calls herself a prophet, and you let her teach and mislead my servants to do immoral things and to eat food offered to idols. 21 I gave her a chance to turn from her sins, but she did not want to stop doing these immoral things.
22 I am going to strike down Jezebel. Everyone who does these immoral things with her will also be punished, if they don't stop. 23 (G) I will even kill her followers.[l] Then all the churches will see that I know everyone's thoughts and feelings. I will treat each of you as you deserve.
24 Some of you in Thyatira don't follow Jezebel's teaching. You don't know anything about what her followers call the “deep secrets of Satan.” So I won't burden you down with any other commands. 25 But until I come, you must hold firmly to the teaching you have.
26 (H) I will give power over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and keeps on obeying me until the end. 27-28 I will give each of them the same power my Father has given me. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash those nations to pieces like clay pots. I will also give them the morning star.[m]
29 If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Footnotes
- 2.6 Nicolaitans: Nothing else is known about these people, though it is possible that they claimed to be followers of Nicolaus from Antioch (see Acts 6.5).
- 2.10 a glorious life: The Greek text has “a crown of life.” In ancient times an athlete who had won a contest was rewarded with a crown of flowers as a sign of victory.
- 2.11 second death: The first death is physical death, and the “second death” is eternal death.
- 2.13 where Satan has his throne: The meaning is uncertain, but it may refer to the city as a center of pagan worship or of Emperor worship.
- 2.13 Antipas: Nothing else is known about this man, who is mentioned only here in the New Testament.
- 2.14 Balaam: According to Numbers 22–24, Balaam refused to disobey the Lord. But in other books of the Old Testament, he is spoken of as evil (see Deuteronomy 23.4,5; Joshua 13.22; 24.9,10; Nehemiah 13.2).
- 2.15 Nicolaitans: See the note at 2.6.
- 2.17 hidden food: When the people of Israel were going through the desert, the Lord provided a special food for them. Some of this was placed in a jar and stored in the sacred chest (see Exodus 16). According to later Jewish teaching, the prophet Jeremiah rescued the sacred chest when the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. He hid the chest in a cave, where it would stay until God came to save his people.
- 2.17 white stone: The meaning of this is uncertain, though it may be the same as a ticket that lets a person into God's banquet where the “hidden food” is eaten. Or it may be a symbol of victory.
- 2.17 a new name: Either the name of Christ or God or the name of the follower who is given the stone.
- 2.20 Jezebel: Nothing else is known about her. This may have been her real name or a name that was given to her because she was like Queen Jezebel, who opposed the Lord (see 1 Kings 19.1,2; 21.1-26).
- 2.23 her followers: Or “her children.”
- 2.27,28 the morning star: Probably thought of as the star that signals the end of night and the beginning of day. In 22.16 Christ is called the “morning star.”
Apocalipsis 2
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Mensaje a la iglesia de Éfeso
2 »Escribe al ángel de la iglesia en Éfeso(A):
“El que tiene las siete estrellas(B) en Su mano derecha, Aquel que anda entre[a] los siete candelabros(C) de oro, dice esto: 2 ‘Yo conozco tus obras, tu fatiga y tu perseverancia(D), y que no puedes soportar a los malos, y has sometido a prueba(E) a los que se dicen ser apóstoles(F) y no lo son, y los has hallado mentirosos. 3 Tienes perseverancia, y has sufrido por Mi nombre(G) y no has desmayado.
4 ’Pero tengo esto contra ti: que has dejado tu primer amor(H). 5 Recuerda, por tanto, de dónde has caído y arrepiéntete(I), y haz las obras que hiciste al principio[b](J). Si no, vendré[c] a ti y quitaré tu candelabro de su lugar(K), si no te arrepientes. 6 Sin embargo tienes esto: que aborreces las obras de los nicolaítas(L), las cuales Yo también aborrezco.
7 ’El que tiene oído(M), oiga lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias. Al vencedor[d](N) le daré a comer del árbol de la vida(O), que está en el paraíso de Dios(P)’”».
Mensaje a la iglesia de Esmirna
8 «Escribe al ángel de la iglesia en Esmirna(Q):
“El Primero y el Último(R), el que estuvo muerto y ha vuelto a la vida(S), dice esto: 9 ‘Yo conozco[e] tu tribulación(T) y tu pobreza(U) (pero tú eres rico(V)), y la blasfemia de los que se dicen ser judíos y no lo son(W), sino que son sinagoga de Satanás(X). 10 No temas lo que estás por sufrir. Yo te digo que el diablo echará a algunos de ustedes en la cárcel para que sean probados(Y), y tendrán tribulación por diez días(Z). Sé fiel hasta la muerte(AA), y Yo te daré la corona de la vida(AB).
11 ’El que tiene oído(AC), oiga lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias. El vencedor[f](AD) no sufrirá daño de la muerte segunda(AE)’”».
Mensaje a la iglesia de Pérgamo
12 «Escribe al ángel de la iglesia en Pérgamo(AF):
“El que tiene la espada aguda de dos filos(AG), dice esto: 13 ‘Yo sé[g] dónde moras: donde está el trono de Satanás(AH). Guardas fielmente Mi nombre y no has negado Mi fe(AI), aun en los días de Antipas, Mi testigo(AJ), Mi siervo fiel(AK), que fue muerto entre ustedes, donde mora Satanás(AL).
14 ’Pero tengo unas pocas cosas contra ti(AM), porque tienes ahí a los que mantienen la doctrina de Balaam(AN), que enseñaba a Balac a poner tropiezo ante los israelitas, a comer cosas sacrificadas a los ídolos y a cometer actos de inmoralidad(AO). 15 Así tú también tienes algunos que de la misma manera mantienen la doctrina de los nicolaítas(AP). 16 Por tanto, arrepiéntete(AQ); si no, vendré[h] a ti pronto(AR) y pelearé contra ellos con la espada de Mi boca(AS).
17 ’El que tiene oído(AT), oiga lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias. Al vencedor[i](AU) le daré del maná escondido(AV) y le daré una piedrecita blanca, y grabado en la piedrecita(AW) un nombre nuevo, el cual nadie conoce sino aquel que lo recibe(AX)’”».
Mensaje a la iglesia de Tiatira
18 «Escribe al ángel de la iglesia en Tiatira(AY):
“El Hijo de Dios(AZ), que tiene ojos[j] como llama de fuego(BA), y Sus pies son semejantes al bronce bruñido, dice esto: 19 ‘Yo conozco tus obras(BB), tu amor, tu fe, tu servicio y tu perseverancia(BC), y que tus obras recientes son mayores que las primeras.
20 ’Pero tengo esto contra ti(BD): que toleras a esa[k] mujer Jezabel(BE), que se dice ser profetisa, y enseña y seduce a Mis siervos a que cometan actos inmorales y coman cosas sacrificadas a los ídolos(BF). 21 Le he dado tiempo para arrepentirse(BG), y no quiere arrepentirse de su inmoralidad(BH). 22 Por eso, la postraré[l] en cama, y a los que cometen adulterio con ella(BI) los arrojaré en gran tribulación, si no se arrepienten de las obras de ella[m]. 23 A sus hijos mataré con pestilencia[n], y todas las iglesias sabrán que Yo soy el que escudriña las mentes[o](BJ) y los corazones, y les daré a cada uno según sus obras(BK).
24 ’Pero a ustedes, a los demás que están en Tiatira(BL), a cuantos no tienen esta doctrina, que no han conocido las cosas profundas de Satanás(BM), como ellos las llaman, les digo, que no les impongo otra carga(BN). 25 No obstante, lo que tienen(BO), reténganlo hasta que Yo venga(BP). 26 Al vencedor[p](BQ), al que guarda Mis obras hasta el fin(BR), le daré autoridad sobre las naciones[q](BS); 27 y las regirá[r] con vara de hierro(BT), como los vasos del alfarero son hechos pedazos(BU), [s]como Yo también he recibido autoridad de Mi Padre. 28 Y le daré el lucero de la mañana(BV).
29 ’El que tiene oído(BW), oiga lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias’”».
Footnotes
- Apocalipsis 2:1 Lit. en medio de.
- Apocalipsis 2:5 Lit. las primeras obras.
- Apocalipsis 2:5 Lit. vengo.
- Apocalipsis 2:7 O Al que venza.
- Apocalipsis 2:9 Algunos mss. agregan: tus obras y.
- Apocalipsis 2:11 O El que venza.
- Apocalipsis 2:13 Algunos mss. agregan: tus obras y.
- Apocalipsis 2:16 Lit. vengo.
- Apocalipsis 2:17 O Al que venza.
- Apocalipsis 2:18 Lit. sus ojos.
- Apocalipsis 2:20 Lit. la.
- Apocalipsis 2:22 Lit. arrojo.
- Apocalipsis 2:22 Algunos mss. dicen: de ellos.
- Apocalipsis 2:23 Lit. muerte.
- Apocalipsis 2:23 Lit. los riñones; i.e. el hombre interior.
- Apocalipsis 2:26 O al que venza.
- Apocalipsis 2:26 O los gentiles.
- Apocalipsis 2:27 O pastoreará.
- Apocalipsis 2:27 En el gr. aquí comienza el vers. 28.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation