Report from Jerusalem

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month of ^(B)Chislev, ^(C)in the twentieth year, as I was in ^(D)Susa the citadel, ² that ^(E)Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. ³ And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and ^(F)shame. ^(G)The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, ^(H)and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

Nehemiah's Prayer

⁴ As soon as I heard these words I ^(I)sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the ^(J)God of heaven. ⁵ And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, ^(K)the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ^6 (L)let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, ^(M)confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even ^(N)I and my father's house have sinned. ^7 (O)We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules ^(P)that you commanded your servant Moses. ⁸ Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, ^(Q)I will scatter you among the peoples, ^9 (R)but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, ^(S)though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them ^(T)to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ ^10 (U)They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. ¹¹ O Lord, ^(V)let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Now I was ^(W)cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

2 In the month of Nisan, ^(X)in the twentieth year of King ^(Y)Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, ^(Z)I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. ² And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but ^(AA)sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. ³ I said to the king, ^(AB)“Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, ^(AC)when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” ⁴ Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed ^(AD)to the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” ⁶ And the king said to me (^(AE)the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me ^(AF)when I had given him a time. ⁷ And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me ^(AG)to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, ⁸ and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of ^(AH)the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, ^(AI)for the good hand of my God was upon me.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls

⁹ Then I came to ^(AJ)the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. ¹⁰ But when ^(AK)Sanballat the Horonite and ^(AL)Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.

^11 (AM)So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. ¹² Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. ¹³ I went out by night by ^(AN)the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to ^(AO)the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem ^(AP)that were broken down ^(AQ)and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴ Then I went on to ^(AR)the Fountain Gate and to ^(AS)the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. ¹⁵ Then I went up in the night ^(AT)by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. ¹⁶ And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, ^(AU)how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer ^(AV)suffer derision.” ¹⁸ And I told them ^(AW)of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” ^(AX)So they strengthened their hands for the good work. ¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and ^(AY)Geshem the Arab heard of it, ^(AZ)they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? ^(BA)Are you rebelling against the king?” ²⁰ Then I replied to them, ^(BB)“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim^[a] in Jerusalem.”

Warning Against Adultery

Prologue

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God ^(A)gave him ^(B)to show to his servants^[a] the things that must soon take place. ^(C)He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ^2 (D)who bore witness to the word of God and to ^(E)the testimony of Jesus Christ, even ^(F)to all that he saw. ^3 (G)Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, ^(H)for the time is near.

Greeting to the Seven Churches

⁴ John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from ^(I)him ^(J)who is and ^(K)who was and who is to come, and from ^(L)the seven spirits who are before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ ^(M)the faithful witness, ^(N)the firstborn of the dead, and ^(O)the ruler of kings on earth.

To ^(P)him who loves us and ^(Q)has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us ^(R)a kingdom, ^(S)priests to ^(T)his God and Father, to him be ^(U)glory and ^(V)dominion forever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, ^(W)he is coming with the clouds, and ^(X)every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail^[b] on account of him. Even so. Amen.

^8 (Y)“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, ^(Z)“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, your brother and ^(AA)partner in ^(AB)the tribulation and ^(AC)the kingdom and ^(AD)the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(AE)on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ^10 (AF)I was in the Spirit ^(AG)on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(AH)like a trumpet ¹¹ saying, ^(AI)“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw ^(AJ)seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and in the midst of the lampstands ^(AK)one like ^(AL)a son of man, ^(AM)clothed with a long robe and ^(AN)with a golden sash around his chest. ^14 (AO)The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. ^(AP)His eyes were like a flame of fire, ^15 (AQ)his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and ^(AR)his voice was like the roar of many waters. ^16 (AS)In his right hand he held seven stars, ^(AT)from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and ^(AU)his face was like the sun shining ^(AV)in full strength.

^17 (AW)When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But ^(AX)he laid his right hand on me, ^(AY)saying, “Fear not, ^(AZ)I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. ^(BA)I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and ^(BB)I have the keys of Death and Hades. ^19 (BC)Write therefore ^(BD)the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. ²⁰ As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and ^(BE)the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and ^(BF)the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To the Church in Ephesus

2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of ^(BG)him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, ^(BH)who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

^2 (BI)“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but ^(BJ)have tested those ^(BK)who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. ³ I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up ^(BL)for my name's sake, and you ^(BM)have not grown weary. ⁴ But I have this against you, that you have abandoned ^(BN)the love you had at first. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do ^(BO)the works you did at first. If not, ^(BP)I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶ Yet this you have: you hate the works of ^(BQ)the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ^7 (BR)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(BS)To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of ^(BT)the tree of life, which is in ^(BU)the paradise of God.’

To the Church in Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of ^(BV)the first and the last, ^(BW)who died and came to life.

⁹ “‘I know your tribulation and ^(BX)your poverty (^(BY)but you are rich) and the slander^[c] of ^(BZ)those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, ^(CA)that you may be tested, and for ^(CB)ten days ^(CC)you will have tribulation. ^(CD)Be faithful ^(CE)unto death, and I will give you ^(CF)the crown of life. ^11 (CG)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(CH)The one who conquers will not be hurt by ^(CI)the second death.’

To the Church in Pergamum

¹² “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has ^(CJ)the sharp two-edged sword.

¹³ “‘I know where you dwell, ^(CK)where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not ^(CL)deny my faith^[d] even in the days of Antipas ^(CM)my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of ^(CN)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might ^(CO)eat food sacrificed to idols and ^(CP)practice sexual immorality. ¹⁵ So also you have some who hold the teaching of ^(CQ)the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Therefore repent. If not, ^(CR)I will come to you soon and ^(CS)war against them with ^(CT)the sword of my mouth. ^17 (CU)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(CV)To the one who conquers I will give some of ^(CW)the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with ^(CX)a new name written on the stone ^(CY)that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

To the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, ^(CZ)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

^19 (DA)“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. ²⁰ But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman ^(DB)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants ^(DC)to practice sexual immorality and ^(DD)to eat food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to repent, but ^(DE)she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. ²² Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, ²³ and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he ^(DF)who searches mind and heart, and ^(DG)I will give to each of you according to your works. ²⁴ But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call ^(DH)the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I ^(DI)do not lay on you any other burden. ²⁵ Only hold fast ^(DJ)what you have until I come. ^26 (DK)The one who conquers and who keeps my works ^(DL)until the end, ^(DM)to him I will give authority over the nations, ²⁷ and ^(DN)he will ^(DO)rule^[e] them with a rod of iron, ^(DP)as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. ²⁸ And I will give him ^(DQ)the morning star. ^29 (DR)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Sardis

3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him ^(DS)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation ^(DT)of being alive, ^(DU)but you are dead. ² Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works ^(DV)complete in the sight of my God. ^3 (DW)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, ^(DX)I will come ^(DY)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. ⁴ Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not ^(DZ)soiled their garments, and they will walk with me ^(EA)in white, for they are ^(EB)worthy. ^5 (EC)The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never ^(ED)blot his name out of ^(EE)the book of life. ^(EF)I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. ^6 (EG)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of ^(EH)the holy one, ^(EI)the true one, ^(EJ)who has the key of David, ^(EK)who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

⁸ “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you ^(EL)an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ⁹ Behold, I will make those of ^(EM)the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, ^(EN)I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that ^(EO)I have loved you. ^10 (EP)Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try ^(EQ)those who dwell on the earth. ^11 (ER)I am coming soon. ^(ES)Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize ^(ET)your crown. ^12 (EU)The one who conquers, I will make him ^(EV)a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him ^(EW)the name of my God, and ^(EX)the name of the city of my God, ^(EY)the new Jerusalem, ^(EZ)which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own ^(FA)new name. ^13 (FB)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴ “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the ^(FC)Amen, ^(FD)the faithful and true witness, ^(FE)the beginning of God's creation.

¹⁵ “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. ^(FF)Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ^17 (FG)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, ^(FH)blind, and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you ^(FI)to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and ^(FJ)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ^(FK)the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, ^(FL)so that you may see. ^19 (FM)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and ^(FN)knock. ^(FO)If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, ^(FP)I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ^21 (FQ)The one who conquers, ^(FR)I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as ^(FS)I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ^22 (FT)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”