Isaiah 32

New International Version

The Kingdom of Righteousness

32 See, a king^(A) will reign in righteousness
    and rulers will rule with justice.^(B)
²Each one will be like a shelter^(C) from the wind
    and a refuge from the storm,^(D)
like streams of water^(E) in the desert^(F)
    and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

³Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,^(G)
    and the ears^(H) of those who hear will listen.
⁴The fearful heart will know and understand,^(I)
    and the stammering tongue^(J) will be fluent and clear.
⁵No longer will the fool^(K) be called noble
    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
⁶For fools speak folly,^(L)
    their hearts are bent on evil:^(M)
They practice ungodliness^(N)
    and spread error^(O) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty^(P)
    and from the thirsty they withhold water.
⁷Scoundrels use wicked methods,^(Q)
    they make up evil schemes^(R)
to destroy the poor with lies,
    even when the plea of the needy^(S) is just.^(T)
⁸But the noble make noble plans,
    and by noble deeds^(U) they stand.^(V)

The Women of Jerusalem

⁹You women^(W) who are so complacent,
    rise up and listen^(X) to me;
you daughters who feel secure,^(Y)
    hear what I have to say!
¹⁰In little more than a year^(Z)
    you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,^(AA)
    and the harvest of fruit will not come.
¹¹Tremble,^(AB) you complacent women;
    shudder, you daughters who feel secure!^(AC)
Strip off your fine clothes^(AD)
    and wrap yourselves in rags.^(AE)
¹²Beat your breasts^(AF) for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vines^(AG)
¹³and for the land of my people,
    a land overgrown with thorns and briers^(AH)—
yes, mourn^(AI) for all houses of merriment
    and for this city of revelry.^(AJ)
¹⁴The fortress^(AK) will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;^(AL)
citadel and watchtower^(AM) will become a wasteland forever,
    the delight of donkeys,^(AN) a pasture for flocks,^(AO)
¹⁵till the Spirit^(AP) is poured on us from on high,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,^(AQ)
    and the fertile field seems like a forest.^(AR)
¹⁶The Lord’s justice^(AS) will dwell in the desert,^(AT)
    his righteousness^(AU) live in the fertile field.
¹⁷The fruit of that righteousness^(AV) will be peace;^(AW)
    its effect will be quietness and confidence^(AX) forever.
¹⁸My people will live in peaceful^(AY) dwelling places,
    in secure homes,^(AZ)
    in undisturbed places of rest.^(BA)
¹⁹Though hail^(BB) flattens the forest^(BC)
    and the city is leveled^(BD) completely,
²⁰how blessed you will be,
    sowing^(BE) your seed by every stream,^(BF)
    and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.^(BG)

Revelation 2

New International Version

To the Church in Ephesus

2 “To the angel^[a] of the church in Ephesus^(A) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand^(B) and walks among the seven golden lampstands.^(C) ²I know your deeds,^(D) your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested^(E) those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.^(F) ³You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name,^(G) and have not grown weary.

⁴Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.^(H) ⁵Consider how far you have fallen! Repent^(I) and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand^(J) from its place. ⁶But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans,^(K) which I also hate.

⁷Whoever has ears, let them hear^(L) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,^(M) I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,^(N) which is in the paradise^(O) of God.

To the Church in Smyrna

⁸“To the angel of the church in Smyrna^(P) write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,^(Q) who died and came to life again.^(R) ⁹I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!^(S) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,^(T) but are a synagogue of Satan.^(U) ¹⁰Do 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,^(V) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.^(W) Be faithful,^(X) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.^(Y)

¹¹Whoever has ears, let them hear^(Z) what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.^(AA)

To the Church in Pergamum

¹²“To the angel of the church in Pergamum^(AB) write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.^(AC) ¹³I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,^(AD) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,^(AE) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.^(AF)

¹⁴Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:^(AG) There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam,^(AH) who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols^(AI) and committed sexual immorality.^(AJ) ¹⁵Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.^(AK) ¹⁶Repent^(AL) therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.^(AM)

¹⁷Whoever has ears, let them hear^(AN) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,^(AO) I will give some of the hidden manna.^(AP) I will also give that person a white stone with a new name^(AQ) written on it, known only to the one who receives it.^(AR)

To the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸“To the angel of the church in Thyatira^(AS) write:

These are the words of the Son of God,^(AT) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.^(AU) ¹⁹I know your deeds,^(AV) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

²⁰Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,^(AW) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.^(AX) ²¹I have given her time^(AY) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.^(AZ) ²²So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery^(BA) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,^(BB) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.^(BC)

²⁴Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,^(BD) ²⁵except to hold on to what you have^(BE) until I come.’^(BF)

²⁶To the one who is victorious^(BG) and does my will to the end,^(BH) I will give authority over the nations^(BI)— ²⁷that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter^(BJ) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’^[b]^(BK)—just as I have received authority from my Father. ²⁸I will also give that one the morning star.^(BL) ²⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear^(BM) what the Spirit says to the churches.