Arad Destroyed

21 When ^(A)the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in ^(B)the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. ^2 (C)And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.”^{[a] 3} And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called ^(D)Hormah.^[b]

The Bronze Serpent

⁴ From Mount Hor ^(E)they set out by the way to the Red Sea, ^(F)to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. ⁵ And the people ^(G)spoke against God and against Moses, ^(H)“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and ^(I)we loathe this worthless food.” ^6 (J)Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and ^(K)they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. ^7 (L)And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. ^(M)Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸ And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” ⁹ So ^(N)Moses made a bronze^[c] serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

The Song of the Well

¹⁰ And the people of Israel set out and ^(O)camped in Oboth. ^11 (P)And they set out from Oboth and ^(Q)camped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness that is opposite Moab, toward the sunrise. ¹² From there they set out and camped in ^(R)the Valley of Zered. ¹³ From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites, for the ^(S)Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. ¹⁴ Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord,

¹⁶ And from there they continued ^(U)to Beer;^[d] that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that ^(V)I may give them water.” ¹⁷ Then Israel sang this song:

And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah, ¹⁹ and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, ²⁰ and from Bamoth to the valley lying in the region of Moab by the top of Pisgah ^(X)that looks down on the desert.^[e]

King Sihon Defeated

²¹ Then ^(Y)Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, ^22 (Z)“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into field or vineyard. We will not drink the water of a well. We will go by the King's Highway until we have passed through your territory.” ^23 (AA)But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and ^(AB)came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. ^24 (AC)And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the ^(AD)Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites, for the border of the Ammonites was strong. ²⁵ And Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all its villages. ²⁶ For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. ²⁷ Therefore the ^(AE)ballad singers say,

King Og Defeated

³¹ Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites. ³² And Moses sent to spy out ^(AN)Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there. ³³ Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. And Og the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle ^(AO)at Edrei. ^34 (AP)But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people, and his land. And ^(AQ)you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” ³⁵ So they defeated him and his sons and all his people, until he had no survivor left. And they possessed his land.

Practical Warnings

Warnings 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.’”