启示录 2
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
给以弗所教会的信
2 “你要写信给在以弗所教会的使者，说：
‘那右手拿着七星，在七个金灯台中间行走的，这样说： 2 我知道你的行为、你的劳苦、你的忍耐，也知道你不能容忍恶人。你也曾经试验那些自称是使徒，而其实不是使徒的人，看出他们是假的。 3 你有忍耐，曾为我的名的缘故忍受一切，并不困倦。 4 然而有一件事我要责备你，就是你已经离弃了你起初的爱。 5 所以，你应当回想你是从哪里坠落的，并且要悔改，作起初所作的事。你若不悔改，我就要来到你那里，把你的灯台从原处移去。 6 不过你有这一个优点，就是你恨恶尼哥拉党的作为，那也是我所恨恶的。 7 圣灵向众教会所说的话，有耳的就应当听。得胜的，我必定把 神乐园里生命树的果子赐给他吃。’
给士每拿教会的信
8 “你要写信给在士每拿教会的使者，说：
‘那首先的、末后的、曾经死去而又活过来的，这样说： 9 我知道你的患难和贫穷，但你却是富足的。我也知道那些自称是犹太人所说毁谤的话，其实他们不是犹太人，而是撒但的党徒。 10 你不要怕你将要受的苦。看哪！魔鬼将要把你们中间几个人下在监里，叫你们受试炼，你们要受患难十天。你要忠心至死，我就把那生命的冠冕赐给你。 11 圣灵向众教会所说的话，有耳的就应当听。得胜的，决不会受第二次死的害。’
给别迦摩教会的信
12 “你要写信给在别迦摩教会的使者，说：
‘那有一把两刃利剑的，这样说： 13 我知道你居住的地方，就是撒但王座所在的地方。当我忠心的见证人安提帕在你们那里，就是在撒但居住的地方被杀的那些日子，你还持守我的名，没有否认对我的信仰。 14 然而有几件事我要责备你，因为在你那里有些人持守巴兰的教训。这巴兰曾经教导巴勒把绊脚石放在以色列人面前，叫他们吃祭过偶像的食物，并且行淫乱。 15 同样，你也有些人持守尼哥拉党的教训。 16 所以，你应当悔改；如果不悔改，我就很快地来到你们那里，用我口中的剑跟他们作战。 17 圣灵向众教会所说的话，有耳的就应当听。得胜的，我必定把那隐藏的吗哪赐给他，并且赐他一块白石，石上写着新的名字，这名字除了那领受的人以外，是没有人能知道的。’
给推雅推拉教会的信
18 “你要写信给在推雅推拉教会的使者，说：
‘ 神的儿子，那眼睛像火焰、两脚像光铜的，这样说： 19 我知道你的行为，你的爱心、信心、服侍和忍耐，也知道你后来所作的比先前的还要多。 20 然而有一件事我要责备你，就是你容让那自称是先知的妇人耶洗别，教导和引诱我的众仆人行淫乱，吃祭过偶像的食物。 21 我曾给她时间，让她悔改，她却不肯为她的淫行悔改。 22 看哪，我要把她拋在大患难的床上；那些跟她行淫乱的人，如果不为她的行为悔改，我也要把他们拋在大患难中。 23 我必以死亡击杀她的儿女；众教会就都知道我是察验人肺腑心肠的，我要照着你们的行为报应你们各人。 24 至于你们其余在推雅推拉的人，就是不跟从那教训，不认识所谓撒但深奥的事的人，我告诉你们，我不会把别的重担放在你们身上。 25 不过，你们要持守已经得着的，直到我来。 26 得胜的，又遵守我的旨意到底的，
我必把统治列国的权柄赐给他，
27 他必用铁杖治理他们，
好象打碎陶器一样粉碎他们，（“我必把……粉碎他们”引自诗2:8~9）
好象我从父领受了权柄一样； 28 我还要把晨星赐给他。 29 圣灵向众教会所说的话，有耳的就应当听。’”
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.
Revelation 2
King James Version
2 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.
29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
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