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 2,21 Off 2,21
And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk:
and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah: Shall men fall, and not rise up again? Shall one turn away, and not return?
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one {Or, turneth away in his course}turneth to his course, as a horse that rusheth headlong in the battle.
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
What if God, {Or, although willing}willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:
that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, {Or, into which few, that is, eight souls were brought safely through water}wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;