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Revelation 2
Christian Standard Bible

The Letters to the Seven Churches

The Letter to Ephesus

2 “Write to the angel[a] 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:(A) 2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,(B) and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not,(C) and you have found them to be liars.(D) 3 I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name,(E) and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.(F) 5 Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.(G) Otherwise, I will come to you[b] and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give(H) the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in[c] the paradise of God.(I)

The Letter to Smyrna

8 “Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last,(J) the one who was dead and came to life: 9 I know your[d] affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.(K) 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil(L) is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days.(M) Be faithful to the point of death,(N) and I will give you the crown[e] of life.(O)

11 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.(P)

The Letter to Pergamum

12 “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: (Q) 13 I know[f] where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me,[g](R) even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness(S) who was put to death among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam,(T) who taught Balak to place a stumbling block[h] in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols(U) and to commit sexual immorality.(V) 15 In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.[i] 16 So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly(W) and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.(X)

17 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna.[j](Y) I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name(Z) is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

The Letter to Thyatira

18 “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God,(AA) the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze:(AB) 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness,[k] service, and endurance.(AC) I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel,(AD) who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.(AE) 21 I gave her time to repent,(AF) but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.(AG) 22 Look, I will throw her into a sickbed(AH) and those who commit adultery with her(AI) into great affliction.(AJ) Unless they repent of her[l] works, 23 I will strike her children dead.[m](AK) Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts,(AL) and I will give to each of you according to your works.(AM) 24 I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets[n](AN) of Satan”(AO) —as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you.(AP) 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come.(AQ) 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations—

27 and he will rule[o](AR) them with an iron scepter;
he will shatter them like pottery[p](AS) —

28 just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.(AT)

29 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Or messenger, also in vv. 8,12,18
  2. 2:5 Other mss add quickly
  3. 2:7 Other mss read in the midst of
  4. 2:9 Other mss add works and
  5. 2:10 Or wreath
  6. 2:13 Other mss add your works and
  7. 2:13 Or deny my faith
  8. 2:14 Or to place a trap
  9. 2:15 Other mss add which I hate
  10. 2:17 Other mss add to eat
  11. 2:19 Or faith
  12. 2:22 Other mss read their
  13. 2:23 Or with a plague
  14. 2:24 Or the secret things
  15. 2:27 Or shepherd
  16. 2:27 Ps 2:9
Close EXB

Revelation 2
Expanded Bible

To the Church in Ephesus

2 “Write this to the ·angel [or messenger; see 1:20] of the church in Ephesus [C an important city in western Asia Minor]:

“The One who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands [C the resurrected Jesus; 1:16, 20] says ·this [L these things]: 2 I know ·what you do [L your works], ·how you work hard [L your toil] and ·never give up [L your perseverence/endurance]. I know you do not put up with ·the false teachings of evil people [L evildoers; or evil]. You have tested those who say they are apostles but really are not, and you found they are ·liars [or false]. 3 You have ·patience [perseverance; endurance] and have ·suffered troubles [endured much] for my name and have not ·given up [L grown weary].

4 “But I have this against you: You have ·left [abandoned] ·the love you had in the beginning [or your first love]. 5 So ·remember [consider] ·where you were before you fell [L how far you have fallen]. ·Change your hearts [Repent] and do ·what [L the works] you did at first. If you do not ·change [repent], I will come to you and will take away your lampstand from its place. 6 But ·there is something you do that is right [L this you have]: You hate what the Nicolaitans do [C we know little about this heresy, which possibly entailed false worship and immorality], as much as I.

7 “Every person who has ears should ·listen to [hear; obey] what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who ·win the victory [overcome; conquer] I will give the right to eat the fruit from the ·tree of life, which is in the ·garden [or paradise] of God [22:2; Gen. 2:9].

To the Church in Smyrna

8 “Write this to the ·angel [or messenger; see 1:20] of the church in Smyrna [C a major city in western Asia Minor, identified with present-day Izmir, Turkey]:

“The One who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again [C the resurrected Jesus; 1:17–18], says ·this [L these things]: 9 I know your ·troubles [persecution; affliction] and that you are poor, but really you are rich! I know the ·bad things [slander; blasphemy] some people say about you. They say they are Jews, but they are not true Jews. They are a synagogue ·that belongs to [L of] Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will ·suffer [be persecuted/afflicted] for ten days [C perhaps a symbolic number meaning a significant and definite time]. But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the ·crown [C a wreath worn to indicate high status or as a reward] of life.

11 “Everyone who has ears should ·listen to [hear; obey] what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who ·win the victory [overcome; conquer] will not be hurt by the second death [C the spiritual death after physical death; 20:6, 14; 21:8].

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “Write this to the ·angel [messenger; see 1:20] of the church in Pergamum [C a rich city in western Asia Minor]:

“The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword [C the resurrected Jesus; 1:16] says this [L these things]: 13 I know where you live. It is where Satan has his throne [C a reference to false worship; Pergamum was a center of emperor worship]. But you ·are true to me [L hold fast to my name]. You did not ·refuse to tell about [deny] your faith in me even during the time of Antipas, my faithful witness who was killed ·in your city [L among you; C we know nothing further about Antipas], where Satan lives.

14 “But I have a few things against you: You have some there who follow the teaching of Balaam. He taught Balak how to ·cause the people of Israel to sin [L put a stumbling block before the children of Israel] by eating food offered to idols and by taking part in sexual sins [Num. 22—24; 31:8; Deut. 23:4–5; 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11]. 15 You also have some who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans [see 2:6]. 16 So ·change your hearts and lives [repent]. If you do not, I will come to you quickly and ·fight [make war] against them with the sword that comes out of my mouth [C the judgment he enacts by merely speaking; 1:16].

17 “Everyone who has ears should ·listen to [hear; obey] what the Spirit says to the churches.

“I will give some of the hidden manna [C perhaps alluding to a Jewish tradition that the manna placed in the ark is hidden until the messianic age; ultimately referring to the spiritual life Christ provides; John 6:32–35] to everyone who ·wins the victory [overcomes; conquers]. I will also give to each one who ·wins the victory [overcomes; conquers] a white stone with a new name written on it [C an unknown cultural image, which, along with the manna, points to salvation in Christ]. No one knows this new name except the one who receives it [C the name could be God’s or Christ’s, but more likely refers to a new name given to the people of God].

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “Write this to the ·angel [messenger; see 1:20] of the church in ·Thyatira [C a small city in western Asia Minor]:

“The Son of God, who has eyes that blaze like fire [1:14] and feet like shining bronze [1:15; C the resurrected Jesus], says ·this [L these things]: 19 I know ·what you do [your works]. I know about your love, your faith, your service, and your ·patience [endurance; perseverance]. I know that ·you are doing more now than you did at first [L your last works are greater than the first].

20 “But I have this against you: You ·let that woman Jezebel spread false teachings [L tolerate the woman Jezebel; C probably the leader of the Nicolaitans, here given the name of the notorious Baal-worshiping queen; 1 Kin. 16:31–34; 21:25–26; 2 Kin. 9:22]. She ·says she is [calls herself] a prophetess, but ·by her teaching she leads [teaches and misleads/deceives] my ·people [L servants] to take part in sexual sins and to eat food that is offered to idols. 21 I have given her time to ·change her heart and turn away from her sin [repent of her sexual immorality], but she does not want to ·change [repent]. 22 ·So [L Look!] I will throw her on ·a bed of suffering [or a sickbed; C the bed used for sexual sin is now a bed of suffering]. And all those who take part in adultery with her will suffer greatly if they do not ·turn away from the wrongs she does [repent of her works/deeds]. 23 I will also kill her ·followers [L children]. Then all the churches will know I am the One who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you for ·what you have done [your works/deeds].

24 “But ·others [the rest] of you in Thyatira have not followed her teaching and have not learned what some call Satan’s deep secrets. I say to you that I will not put any other ·load [burden] on you. 25 Only ·continue in your loyalty [L hold fast to what you have] until I come.

26 “I will give ·power [authority] over the nations to everyone who ·wins the victory [overcomes; conquers] and ·continues to be obedient to me [or keeps working for me; L keeps/obeys my works] until the end.

27 ‘·You [L he; C the one who overcomes] will ·rule over [L shepherd] them with an iron ·rod [or scepter],
    ·as when pottery is broken into pieces [or and will break them into pieces like pottery; Ps. 2:9].’

28 This is the same ·power [authority] I received from my Father. I will also give him the morning star [C usually the planet Venus as seen before sunrise, but here symbolically Christ at his return; 22:16; Num. 24:17; 2 Pet. 1:19]. 29 Everyone who has ears should ·listen to [hear; obey] what the Spirit says to the churches.

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Revelation 1
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