Revelation 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible  Par ▾ 
The Letters to the Seven Churches

The Letter to Ephesus

1“Write to the angela of the church in Ephesus:

“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstandsb says:c 2I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,d and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not,e and you have found them to be liars.f 3You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My nameg and have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.h 5Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.i Otherwise, I will come to youj and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent. 6Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victork the right to eat from the tree of life, which is inl God’s paradise.m

The Letter to Smyrna

8“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna:

“The First and the Last,n the One who was dead and came to life, says: 9I know youro affliction and poverty, yet you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.p 10Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devilq is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days.r Be faithful until death,s and I will give you the crownt of life.u

11“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.v

The Letter to Pergamum

12“Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum:

“The One who has the sharp, double-edged swordw says: 13I knowx where you live — where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me,yz even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witnessaa who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam,ab who taught Balak to place a stumbling blockac in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idolsad and to commit sexual immorality.aeaf 15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.ag 16Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quicklyah and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.ai

17“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor some of the hidden manna.aj,ak I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new nameal is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

The Letter to Thyatira

18“Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira:

“The Son of God,am the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze,anao says: 19I know your works — your love, faithfulness,ap service, and endurance.aq Your last works are greater than the first. 20But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel,ar who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immoralityas and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.at 21I gave her time to repent,au but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.avaw 22Look! I will throw her into a sickbedax and those who commit adultery with heray into great tribulation,az unless they repent of herba practices. 23I will kill her children with the plague.bb,bc Then all the churches will know that I am the One who examines mindsbd and hearts,be and I will give to each of you according to your works.bf 24I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known the deep thingsbgbh of Satanbi — as they say — I do not put any other burden on you.bj 25But hold on to what you have until I come.bk 26The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations —

27and he will shepherdbl,bm them with an iron scepter;

he will shatter them like potterybn,bo —

just as I have received this from My Father. 28I will also give him the morning star.bp

29“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.


Footnotes:
a. 2:1 Or messenger here and elsewhere
b. 2:1 Rv 1:16,20
c. 2:1 Ac 21:11
d. 2:2 Rv 2:19; 3:1,8,15
e. 2:2 2Co 11:13
f. 2:2 1Jn 4:1
g. 2:3 Mt 24:9
h. 2:4 Jr 2:2
i. 2:5 Heb 10:32
j. 2:5 Other mss add quickly
k. 2:7 1Jn 5:4-5
l. 2:7 Other mss read in the midst of
m. 2:7 Gn 2:8-9; Lk 23:43; 2Co 12:4; Rv 22:2,14,19
n. 2:8 Rv 1:17
o. 2:9 Other mss add works and
p. 2:9 Rv 3:9-10
q. 2:10 Mt 4:1; Eph 4:27; 6:11; 1Tm 3:6; Jms 4:7; 1Pt 5:8; Rv 12:9,12; 20:2
r. 2:10 Dn 1:12,14
s. 2:10 Mt 10:22; 24:13; Rv 12:11
t. 2:10 Or wreath
u. 2:10 1Co 9:25; Jms 1:12; Rv 3:11
v. 2:11 Rv 20:6,14; 21:8
w. 2:12 Is 49:2; Heb 4:12; Rv 1:16; 2:16; 19:15
x. 2:13 Other mss add your works and
y. 2:13 1Tm 5:8
z. 2:13 Or deny My faith
aa. 2:13 Ac 22:20
ab. 2:14 2Pt 2:15
ac. 2:14 Or to place a trap
ad. 2:14 Ac 15:29; 1Co 8:10; 10:19
ae. 2:14 Nm 25:1; 31:16; 1Co 10:8
af. 2:14 Or commit fornication
ag. 2:15 Other mss add which I hate
ah. 2:16 Rv 22:7
ai. 2:16 2Th 2:8
aj. 2:17 Other mss add to eat
ak. 2:17 Ex 16:32-34
al. 2:17 Is 55:13; 56:5; 62:2
am. 2:18 Ps 2:7-9
an. 2:18 Probably gleaming white hot; Rv 1:15
ao. 2:18 Rv 1:14-15
ap. 2:19 Or faith
aq. 2:19 1Th 1:3; Rv 2:2
ar. 2:20 1Kg 16:30-33; 21:25; 2Kg 9:7,30-37
as. 2:20 Or commit fornication
at. 2:20 2Kg 9:22; Ac 15:29; 1Co 10:20
au. 2:21 Rm 2:4; 2Pt 3:9
av. 2:21 Or her fornication
aw. 2:21 Rv 9:20-21; 16:9,11
ax. 2:22 2 Kgs 9:22
ay. 2:22 Rv 17:2; 18:9
az. 2:22 Mt 24:21; Ac 7:11
ba. 2:22 Other mss read their
bb. 2:23 Or I will surely kill her children
bc. 2:23 Ezk 33:27
bd. 2:23 Lit kidneys
be. 2:23 Ps 7:9; 26:2; 139:1; Jr 11:20; 17:10; Mt 16:27; Lk 16:15; Ac 1:24; Rm 8:27
bf. 2:23 Rm 2:6; 2Co 11:15; 2Tm 4:14; Rv 18:6; 20:12-13
bg. 2:24 Or the secret things
bh. 2:24 2Co 2:10
bi. 2:24 Rv 2:9
bj. 2:24 Mt 11:30; Ac 15:28; 24:4; 1Jn 5:3
bk. 2:25 Rv 3:11
bl. 2:27 Or rule ; see 19:15
bm. 2:27 Rv 19:15
bn. 2:27 Ps 2:9
bo. 2:27 Ps 2:9
bp. 2:28 Is 14:12; 2Pt 1:19; Rv 22:1
Revelation 1
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