給七個教會的信

給以弗所教會的信

「你要給那在以弗所教會的使者[a]寫信說:

「那位右手握著七顆星、在七座金燈臺中間行走的,這樣說: 我知道你的行為,包括你的勞苦和忍耐,也知道你不能容忍惡人[b]。你曾考驗那些自稱是使徒,其實不是使徒的,而且看出他們是假的。 你也有忍耐,曾為我的名勞苦,並不疲乏。 然而,我有事要責備你,就是你放棄了你起初的愛; 所以你應當記住你是從哪裡跌落的,應當悔改,應當行你起初所做的事!否則我[c]就要來到你那裡;如果你不悔改,我就要把你的燈臺從原處挪去。 不過,你有這一點可取之處[d],就是你恨惡尼古拉派的行為,那些行為也是我所恨惡的。

「凡是有耳的,就應當聽聖靈向各教會所說的話!那得勝的,我將要准許他吃神樂園中生命樹的果子[e]

給士每拿教會的信

「你要給士每拿教會的使者[f]寫信說:

「那位首先的、末後的,那位曾經死去又活過來的,這樣說: 我知道你的[g]患難和貧窮;其實你是富有的。我也知道從那些自稱是猶太人而來的毀謗,其實他們不是猶太人,而是屬於撒旦會堂的。 10 你不要怕將要受的苦。看哪,魔鬼要把你們當中一些人投進監獄,使你們受考驗;你們將受十天的患難。你應當至死忠心,我就把生命的冠冕賜給你。

11 「凡是有耳的,就應當聽聖靈向各教會所說的話!那得勝的,絕不會被第二次的死亡所傷害。

給佩爾伽馬教會的信

12 「你要給那在佩爾伽馬教會的使者[h]寫信說:

「那位有雙刃利劍的,這樣說: 13 我知道[i]你居住的地方,就是撒旦寶座所在的地方。不過即使在我忠心的見證人安提帕的那些日子裡,你還持守我的名,也沒有否認對我的信仰;這安提帕是在你們那裡,也就是在撒旦居住的地方被殺害的。 14 然而,我有幾件事要責備你,就是在你那裡有些人持守巴蘭的教導。這巴蘭曾教唆巴勒把絆腳石放在以色列子民面前,就是使他們吃祭過偶像的食物,並且行淫亂。 15 同樣,你那裡也有些人持守與尼古拉派一樣的教導。[j] 16 所以,你應當悔改,否則我就會立即來到你那裡,用我口中的劍與他們交戰。

17 「凡是有耳的,就應當聽聖靈向各教會所說的話!那得勝的,我將要賜給他那隱藏的嗎哪。我還要賜給他[k]一塊白石頭,石頭上有一個寫好的新名字,除了那領受的人以外,沒有人認識這名字。

給錫亞蒂拉教會的信

18 「你要給那在錫亞蒂拉教會的使者[l]寫信說:

「神的兒子,就是那位眼睛如火焰、兩腳彷彿精銅的,這樣說: 19 我知道你的行為,包括你的愛心、信仰、服事和忍耐,也知道你最近所做的比先前的更多。 20 然而,我有事[m]要責備你,就是你容忍那自稱是女先知的婦人耶洗別,教唆並迷惑我的奴僕們行淫亂、吃祭過偶像的食物。 21 我曾給她時間,好讓她悔改,她卻不肯[n]悔改離開自己的淫亂。 22 看哪,我要把她扔在痛苦的[o]床上。那些與她通姦的人,如果不悔改離開她[p]的行為,我也要把他們扔在大患難中。 23 我要用瘟疫[q]擊殺她的兒女[r],這樣各教會就將知道我就是洞察情感和心思的那一位;我也要照著你們的行為回報你們每個人。 24 至於你們其餘在錫亞蒂拉的人,就是那些不接受這教訓的、那些不知道所謂「撒旦深奧之事」的,我告訴你們:我不會把另一個重擔放在你們身上。 25 不過你們應當持守你們所擁有的,直到我來。 26 那得勝的,那把我的工作持守到底的,我將要賜給他權柄統管列國——

27 他將用鐵杖治理[s]列國,
如同打碎陶器那樣[t]——就像我也從我父那裡領受了權柄一樣; 28 我還要把晨星賜給他。

29 「凡是有耳的,就應當聽聖靈向各教會所說的話!

Footnotes

  1. 啟示錄 2:1 使者——或譯作「天使」。
  2. 啟示錄 2:2 惡人——或譯作「惡事」。
  3. 啟示錄 2:5 有古抄本附「很快」。
  4. 啟示錄 2:6 可取之處——輔助詞語。
  5. 啟示錄 2:7 果子——輔助詞語。
  6. 啟示錄 2:8 使者——或譯作「天使」。
  7. 啟示錄 2:9 有古抄本附「行為、」。
  8. 啟示錄 2:12 使者——或譯作「天使」。
  9. 啟示錄 2:13 有古抄本附「你的行為和」。
  10. 啟示錄 2:15 有古抄本附「這是我所恨惡的。」
  11. 啟示錄 2:17 賜給他——有古抄本作「賜給他吃」。
  12. 啟示錄 2:18 使者——或譯作「天使」。
  13. 啟示錄 2:20 有事——有古抄本作「有幾件事」。
  14. 啟示錄 2:21 有古抄本沒有「肯」。
  15. 啟示錄 2:22 痛苦的——輔助詞語。
  16. 啟示錄 2:22 她——有古抄本作「他們」。
  17. 啟示錄 2:23 瘟疫——或譯作「死症」。
  18. 啟示錄 2:23 她的兒女——指「那些跟隨她的人」。
  19. 啟示錄 2:27 治理——原文直譯「牧養」。
  20. 啟示錄 2:27 《詩篇》2:9。

To the Church in Ephesus

“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) I 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) You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name,(G) and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.(H) Consider 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. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans,(K) which I also hate.

Whoever 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

“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) I 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) 10 Do 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)

11 Whoever 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) 13 I 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)

14 Nevertheless, 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) 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.(AK) 16 Repent(AL) therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.(AM)

17 Whoever 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) 19 I know your deeds,(AV) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, 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) 21 I have given her time(AY) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(AZ) 22 So 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. 23 I 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)

24 Now 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) 25 except to hold on to what you have(BE) until I come.’(BF)

26 To the one who is victorious(BG) and does my will to the end,(BH) I will give authority over the nations(BI) 27 that 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. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.(BL) 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear(BM) what the Spirit says to the churches.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18
  2. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9

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;

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:

And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

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.

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

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.

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

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.