To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden {Greek: lampstands.}candlesticks:
I know thy works, and thy toil and {Or, stedfastness}patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false;
and thou hast {Or, stedfastness}patience and didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not grown weary.
But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy {Greek: lampstands.}candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the {Or, garden: as in Genesis 2:8.}Paradise of God.
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These things saith the first and the last, who {Greek: became.}was dead, and lived again:
I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the {Or, reviling}blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; {Some ancient authorities read and may have.}and ye shall have {Greek: a tribulation of ten days.}tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:
I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days {The Greek text here is somewhat uncertain.}of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.
Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:
I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and {Or, stedfastness}patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.
But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest {Many authorities, some ancient read thy wife}the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my {Greek: bondservants.}servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.
Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of {Many ancient authorities read their.}her works.
And I will kill her children with {Or, pestilence}death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden.
Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the {Or, Gentiles}nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of {Or, iron;as vessels of the potter, are they broken}iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:
and I will give him the morning star.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Querverweise zu Offenbarung 2,3 Off 2,3
Because for thy sake I have borne reproach;Shame hath covered my face.
I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and {Or, stedfastness}patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Salute Tryphæna and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.
And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint;
I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
Because thou didst keep the word of my {Or, stedfastness}patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of {Or, temptation}trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole {Greek: inhabited earth.}world, to {Or, tempt}try them that dwell upon the earth.
that ye also be in subjection unto such, and to every one that helpeth in the work and laboreth.
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not:
And they {Greek: impress.}compel one passing by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross.
{Or, Be still before (Hebrew: silent to) Jehovah}Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him:Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,Because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Wherefore also we {Greek: are ambitious. See Romans 15:20 margin.}make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto him.
Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.
Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with {Or, stedfastness}patience.
in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;
And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
{Or, covereth Compare 1 Peter 4:8.}beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
In your {Or, stedfastness}patience ye shall win your {Or, lives}souls.
not glorying beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our {Or, limit Greek: measuring-rod.}province unto further abundance,
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well-doing.
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
to them that by {Or, stedfastness}patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.
For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against {Many ancient authorities read themselves. Compare Numbers 16:38.}himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls.
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin:
and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons, {Proverbs 3:11 f.}My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord,Nor faint when thou art reproved of him;
Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
And not only so, but {Or, let us also rejoice}we also {Greek: glory. Verse 11; Hebrew 3:6.}rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;
holding forth the word of life; that I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain.
and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope:
Yea, I beseech thee also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they labored with me in the {Greek: good tidings. See chapter 1:5.}gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with {Or, stedfastness}patience wait for it.
remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and {Or, stedfastness}patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before {Or, God and our Father}our God and Father;
rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer;
For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached unto you the {Greek: good tidings: and so elsewhere; see marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of God.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through {Or, stedfastness}patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope.
But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
Now the God of {Or, stedfastness}patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus:
neither did we eat bread for nought at any man's hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:
{Greek: made powerful.}strengthened {Or, in}with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all {Or, stedfastness}patience and longsuffering with joy;
For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe.
And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the {Or, stedfastness}patience of Christ.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.
And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
For ye have need of {Or, stedfastness}patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every {Or, encumbrance}weight, and the sin which {Or, doth closely cling to us Or, is admired of many}doth so easily beset us, and let us run with {Or, stedfastness}patience the race that is set before us,
knowing that the proving of your faith worketh {Or, stedfastness}patience.
And let {Or, stedfastness}patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.
Be patient therefore, brethren, until the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until {Or, he}it receive the early and latter rain.
Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the {Greek: presence.}coming of the Lord is at hand.
Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge standeth before the doors.
Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord.
Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the {Or, endurance}patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control {Or, stedfastness}patience; and in your {Or, stedfastness}patience godliness;