To the Church in Ephesus
1“To the angel2:1 Or messenger; also in verses 8, 12 and 18 of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna
8“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do 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, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum
12“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.
14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira
18“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24Now 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, 25except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’2:27 Psalm 2:9—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28I will also give that one the morning star. 29Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Kwa Kanisa Lililoko Efeso
12:1 Ufu 1:16; 1:12-13“Kwa malaika wa kanisa lililoko Efeso andika:
“Haya ndiyo maneno ya yule aliyezishika zile nyota saba katika mkono wake wa kuume na ambaye hutembea kati ya vile vinara saba vya taa vya dhahabu. 22:2 1Yn 4:1; 2Kor 11:13Nayajua matendo yako, bidii yako na saburi yako. Najua kuwa huwezi kuvumiliana na watu waovu na ya kwamba umewajaribu wale wanaojifanya kuwa mitume na kumbe sio, nawe umewatambua kuwa ni waongo. 32:3 Yn 15:21Umevumilia na kustahimili taabu kwa ajili ya Jina langu, wala hukuchoka.
42:4 Yer 2:2; Mt 24:12“Lakini nina neno dhidi yako: Umeuacha upendo wako wa kwanza. 52:5 Ufu 1:20Kumbuka basi ni wapi ulikoangukia! Tubu na ukafanye matendo yale ya kwanza. Kama usipotubu, nitakuja kwako na kukiondoa kinara chako cha taa kutoka mahali pake. 62:6 Ufu 2:15; Za 139:21Lakini una jambo hili kwa upande wako: Unayachukia matendo ya Wanikolai, ambayo nami pia nayachukia.
72:7 Mt 11:15; Ufu 13:9; Mwa 2:9; Ufu 22:2, 14; Lk 23:43“Yeye aliye na sikio na asikie yale ambayo Roho ayaambia makanisa. Yeye ashindaye, nitampa haki ya kula matunda toka kwa mti wa uzima, ambao uko katika paradiso2:7 Paradiso hapa ina maana ya Bustani, yaani shamba dogo la miti izaayo matunda. ya Mungu.
Kwa Kanisa Lililoko Smirna
82:8 Ufu 1:11-13“Kwa malaika wa kanisa lililoko Smirna andika:
“Haya ndiyo maneno yake yeye aliye wa Kwanza na wa Mwisho, aliyekufa kisha akafufuka. 92:9 Yak 2:5; Ufu 3:9; Mt 4:10Naijua dhiki yako na umaskini wako, lakini wewe ni tajiri! Nayajua masingizio ya wale wasemao kuwa ni Wayahudi lakini sio, bali wao ni sinagogi la Shetani. 102:10 Ufu 3:10; Dan 1:12-14Usiogope mateso yatakayokupata. Nakuambia ibilisi atawatia baadhi yenu gerezani ili kuwajaribu, nanyi mtapata dhiki kwa muda wa siku kumi. Uwe mwaminifu hata kufa, nami nitakupa taji ya uzima.
112:11 Ufu 20:6-14; 21:8“Yeye aliye na sikio na asikie yale ambayo Roho ayaambia makanisa. Yeye ashindaye hatadhuriwa kamwe na mauti ya pili.
Kwa Kanisa Lililoko Pergamo
122:12 Ufu 1:11-16; 1:17, 18; 2:7“Kwa malaika wa Kanisa lililoko Pergamo andika:
“Haya ndiyo maneno yake yeye aliye na upanga mkali wenye makali kuwili. 132:13 Ufu 14:12Ninajua unakoishi, ni kule ambako Shetani ana kiti chake cha enzi. Lakini umelishika Jina langu. Wala hukuikana imani yako kwangu hata katika siku za shahidi wangu mwaminifu Antipa, ambaye aliuawa katika mji mkuu wenu, ambako ndiko anakoishi Shetani.
142:14 1Pet 2:15; 1Kor 6:13“Hata hivyo, nina mambo machache dhidi yako: Unao watu wafuatao mafundisho ya Balaamu, yule aliyemfundisha Balaki kuwashawishi Waisraeli watende dhambi kwa kula vitu vilivyotolewa kafara kwa sanamu na kufanya uasherati. 152:15 Ufu 2:6Vivyo hivyo unao wale wayashikayo mafundisho ya Wanikolai. 162:16 2The 2:8Basi tubu! Ama sivyo, nitakuja kwako upesi na kupigana na watu hao kwa upanga wa kinywa changu.
172:17 Yn 6:49-50; Isa 62:2; Ufu 19:12“Yeye aliye na sikio na asikie yale ambayo Roho ayaambia makanisa. Yeye ashindaye nitampa baadhi ya ile mana iliyofichwa. Nitampa pia jiwe jeupe ambalo juu yake limeandikwa jina jipya asilolijua mtu, isipokuwa yule anayelipokea.
Kwa Kanisa Lililoko Thiatira
182:18 Ufu 1:11-15“Kwa malaika wa kanisa lililoko Thiatira andika:
“Haya ndiyo maneno ya Mwana wa Mungu, ambaye macho yake ni kama mwali wa moto na ambaye miguu yake ni kama shaba iliyosuguliwa sana. 192:19 Ufu 2:2Nayajua matendo yako, upendo wako na imani yako, huduma na saburi yako na kwamba matendo yako ya sasa yamezidi yale ya kwanza.
202:20 1Fal 21:25; 2Fal 9:7“Hata hivyo, nina neno dhidi yako: Unamvumilia yule mwanamke Yezebeli ambaye anajiita nabii, lakini anawafundisha na kuwapotosha watumishi wangu ili wafanye uasherati na kula vyakula vilivyotolewa kafara kwa sanamu. 212:21 Rum 2:4; Ufu 9:20Nimempa muda ili atubu kwa ajili ya uasherati wake, lakini hataki. 222:22 Ufu 17:2; 18:9Kwa hiyo nitamtupa kwenye kitanda cha mateso, na nitawafanya hao wanaozini naye kupata mateso makali wasipotubia njia zake. 232:23 1Sam 16:7; Yer 11:20Nami nitawaua watoto wake. Nayo makanisa yote yatajua kwamba Mimi ndiye nichunguzaye mioyo na nia, na kwamba nitamlipa kila mmoja wenu kwa kadiri ya matendo yake. 242:24 Mdo 15:28Basi nawaambia ninyi wengine mlioko Thiatira, ninyi ambao hamyafuati mafundisho ya Yezebeli, wala hamkujifunza hayo yanayoitwa mambo ya ndani sana ya Shetani (sitaweka mzigo mwingine wowote juu yenu): 252:25 Ufu 3:11Lakini shikeni sana mlicho nacho, mpaka nitakapokuja.
262:26 Za 2:8; Ufu 3:21“Atakayeshinda na kutenda mapenzi yangu mpaka mwisho, nitampa mamlaka juu ya mataifa:
272:27 Ufu 12:5; Za 2:9; Yer 19:11“ ‘Atawatawala kwa fimbo ya chuma,
atawavunja vipande vipande
kama chombo cha udongo’:
kama vile mimi nilivyopokea mamlaka kutoka kwa Baba yangu. 282:28 Ufu 22:16Nami nitampa pia ile nyota ya asubuhi. 29Yeye aliye na sikio na asikie yale ambayo Roho ayaambia makanisa.
