啟示錄 2
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
給以弗所教會的信
2 「你要寫信告訴以弗所教會的天使，那位右手拿著七顆星、往來於七個金燈臺中间的主說，
2 『我知道你的行為、勞碌和堅忍，也知道你嫉惡如仇，曾查驗出那些假冒的使徒，揭穿他們的虛假。 3 你曾堅定不移地為我的名受苦，沒有氣餒。 4 但有一件事我要責備你，就是你把起初的愛心丟棄了。 5 因此，要回想你在哪裡跌倒了，並且悔改，照起初所行的去行。否則，我就要到你那裡，將你的燈臺從原處拿走。 6 然而你還有一點可取之處，就是你跟我一樣痛恨尼哥拉黨人的行徑。
7 『聖靈對各教會所說的話，凡有耳朵的都應當聽。我必將上帝樂園中生命樹上的果子賜給得勝者吃。』
給士每拿教會的信
8 「你要寫信告訴士每拿教會的天使，那位首先的、末後的、死而復活的主說，
9 『我知道你遭受的苦難和貧窮，其實你是富足的。我也知道那些人對你的毀謗，他們自稱為猶太人，其實不是，而是撒旦的同夥[a]。 10 你不要害怕將要遭受的苦難。魔鬼要將你們當中的一些人下在監裡，試煉你們，你們必遭受十天的迫害。但你要至死忠心，我必賜給你生命的冠冕。
11 『聖靈對各教會所說的話，凡有耳朵的都應當聽。得勝者必不被第二次死亡所害。』
給別迦摩教會的信
12 「你要寫信告訴別迦摩教會的天使，那位有兩刃利劍的主說，
13 『我知道你住在撒旦稱王的地方。當我忠心的見證人安提帕在你們這撒旦盤踞之處殉道的時候，你仍然堅守我的名，仍然信靠我。 14 不過有幾件事我要責備你，你那裡有人隨從巴蘭的教導。這巴蘭從前教巴勒在以色列人面前佈下網羅，使他們吃祭過偶像的食物、犯淫亂的罪。 15 同樣，你們當中也有人附從尼哥拉黨的教導。 16 所以你要悔改，否則我必迅速到你那裡，用我口中的劍攻擊他們。
17 『聖靈對各教會所說的話，凡有耳朵的都應當聽。我必將隱藏的嗎哪賜給得勝者。我也要賜給他一塊白石，石上刻著一個新名字，除了那領受的人以外，沒有人認識。』
給推雅推喇教會的信
18 「你要寫信告訴推雅推喇教會的天使，那位雙目如火焰、雙腳像閃亮精銅的上帝的兒子說，
19 『我知道你的行為、愛心、信心、事奉、堅忍，也知道你末後所做的善事比起初更多。 20 可是有一件事我要責備你，就是你容許那自稱是先知的婦人耶洗別教導我的眾奴僕，引誘他們淫亂、吃祭過偶像的食物。 21 我曾給她悔改的機會，她卻不肯悔改、離棄自己的淫亂行為， 22 所以我必叫她臥病在床。那些與她有染的人若不悔改，也必遭受極大的苦難。 23 我要擊殺她的爪牙[b]，使眾教會都知道我洞察人的心思意念，我要照你們各人的行為對待你們。
24 『至於你們其餘在推雅推喇的人，就是不聽那邪說、沒有學習所謂的撒旦玄學的人，我告訴你們，我不會將別的重擔放在你們身上。 25 但你們要好好持守自己已經得到的，一直到我來。 26 至於那得勝又遵守我命令到底的人，我必賜給他統治列國的權柄， 27 正如我從我父得到的權柄。他必用鐵杖管轄列國，將他們如同陶器一般打得粉碎。 28 我也要把晨星賜給他。
29 『聖靈對各教會所說的話，凡有耳朵的都應當聽。』
Revelation 2
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus' message to the believers at Ephesus
2 ‘Now write this to the angel of the church at Ephesus:[a]
“This is the message to you from the one who holds the seven stars. He holds them carefully in his right hand. He walks among the seven gold lampstands.
2 I know everything that you do. You have worked much for me. You have continued to work patiently. I know that you do not accept bad people as your friends. Some of these bad people say that they are apostles of Jesus. You have thought carefully about what they teach people. And you have discovered that it is not true. 3 You have been patient and strong in times of trouble. You have continued to serve me because you believe in me. You have not stopped when you become tired.
4 But I have something to say against you. You loved me very much when you first believed in me. You do not love me as much now. 5 Think carefully about this! You do not now live in the way you did at the beginning. So you must change the way you live. Do again the good things that you did at the beginning. If you do not change the way you live, I will come to punish you. I will take away your lampstand from its place. 6 But this is something that you do well: you hate the bad things that the Nicolaitans are doing. I also hate what they do.[b]
7 God's Spirit is now speaking to people in the churches. You should recognize that the Spirit is speaking. Everyone who knows that should listen to what he says. I will let everyone who wins against Satan eat my fruit. This fruit is from the tree that makes us alive. And this tree grows in God's garden.” ’[c]
Jesus' message to the believers at Smyrna
8 ‘Write this to the angel of the church at Smyrna:
“This is the message to you from the one who is the first and the last. He was dead, but he became alive again.
9 I know that bad people are making you suffer. I also know that you are poor. But really, you are rich. Some people say that they are Jews, but they tell lies about you. So they cannot be my true people. Instead, they belong to a group of Satan's people. 10 I know that trouble will soon come to you. But do not be afraid. Listen! The Devil will cause some of you to go to prison. He wants to see whether you will continue to believe in me. As a result, you will suffer for ten days.[d] But continue to trust me, even if you die. Then you will win against the Devil. I will give you a gift, as they give a crown to the winner of a race.[e] You will have life with me for ever.
11 God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully! The second death will not hurt anyone who wins against Satan.” ’[f]
Jesus' message to the believers at Pergamum
12 ‘Write this to the angel of the church at Pergamum:
“This is the message to you from the one who has the sharp sword with two edges.
13 I know where you live. It is the place where Satan sits as king.[g] But you still continue to trust me. You remember Antipas who spoke a clear message about me. Because of that, some people in your city killed him. You saw what happened to him, but you continued to believe in me. You still serve me, even there where Satan lives.[h]
14 But I have a few things to say against you. Some people among you agree with what Balaam taught long ago. He taught Balak to do a bad thing against God's people.[i] Balak caused the Israelite people to do wrong things. As a result, they ate food that people had given to idols. They also had sex with people who were not their husbands or wives. 15 Also, some people among you do the bad things that the Nicolaitans teach. 16 So you must stop doing these bad things. If you do not change how you live, I will quickly come to punish you. I will fight against those bad people with my sharp sword that comes out of my mouth.
17 God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully! To everyone who wins against Satan I will give some of my special food called manna. I will also give each of them a white stone.[j] I will write a new name on that stone. Nobody will know that name except the person who receives it.” ’
Jesus' message to the believers at Thyatira
18 ‘Write this to the angel of the church at Thyatira:
“This is the message to you from the Son of God. He has eyes that burn brightly like flames of fire. His feet shine like bright metal.
19 I know everything that you do. I know that you have great love. I know that you believe in me. I know that you continue to serve me well. You are patient and strong. You do these good things now more than you did at the beginning.
20 But I have something to say against you. You let that woman Jezebel teach you. She says that she is a prophet from God. But she leads my servants into bad ways. She teaches them to have sex with many people.[k] And she teaches them to eat food that people have given to idols. 21 I have given her time to stop doing these bad things. But she refuses to change how she lives. She does not stop having sex with other men. 22 Listen to this! I will cause her to suffer on her bed, so that she cannot get up. Those who join her in her sins will also suffer very much, unless they change the way they live. 23 I will send a terrible illness to kill those who obey her. Then all the people in the churches will know that I look deep inside them. I know what you really want. I know what you really think. I will give each of you what is right for you, as a result of what you have done.
24 But I say this to you other people in Thyatira. You have not agreed with what Jezebel taught. You have not learned what they call ‘Satan's deep secrets’. So I say this to you: I will not tell you to obey any other difficult rules. 25 But continue to obey my message that you have already received. Believe in me until I come.
26 Continue to obey me until the end and win the fight against Satan. If anyone does that, I will give him authority to rule over the nations of the world. 27 That person will rule the nations with strong authority. He will destroy them, like someone who breaks clay pots into many pieces.[l] 28 He will have the same authority that I received from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.[m] 29 God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully!” ’
Footnotes
- 2:1 Many people think that the ‘angel’ here means a human messenger that God has sent. The ‘angel’ could have been the person who read this letter aloud to the church. So ‘angel’ could also mean this in Revelation 2:8,12,18; 3:1,7,14. Everywhere else in Revelation, ‘angel’ means a being from heaven.
- 2:6 The Nicolaitans were teaching the Christians to do wrong things. They were not teaching the same message as Jesus had taught. We do not know much about the wrong things that they taught.
- 2:7 If we turn against Satan, Jesus promises to give us new life. The fruit that he gives us is a picture of everything that we need to live that new life.
- 2:10 ‘ten days’ may mean a short time of trouble, rather than a long time.
- 2:10 At the time John was on earth, a winner of a race received a crown. The crown was the shape of a circle. Somebody had tied leaves together to make it.
- 2:11 The second death is the opposite of when someone lives always with Jesus. It means that a person must go to a place without Jesus. Nobody is happy in that place. The name of that place is hell, or the lake of fire. See Revelation 20:14.
- 2:13 Pergamum was a city where Satan was powerful.
- 2:13 There was a special building in Pergamum for people to worship the king of Rome. This king was against Christians because they would not worship him. Also, there was a very big stone table on a hill. People offered gifts to the false god Zeus on this big table. Also, many people worshipped a snake god. The Devil appears as a snake in the Bible. See Genesis 3.
- 2:14 Balak was the king of Moab. See Numbers 22:1—25:3.
- 2:17 The colour white in the Bible usually means completely good and clean. So the white stone may show that God will make us like that. He will make our spirits completely clean if we continue to believe him.
- 2:20 God's Law says that someone should have sex only with their wife or their husband.
- 2:27 The person who rules the countries will be strong. He will rule with great power and he will punish people who do wrong things.
- 2:28 The morning star appears in the sky just before the sunrise. It is very bright. It shows us that the day is coming. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus says that he is the morning star. He brings light when it has been dark.
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