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Philippians 2

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands;

² and in the midst of the lampstands I saw someone[17] like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching to His feet, and with a golden sash wrapped around His chest.

³ His head and His hair were white like white wool, [glistening white] like snow; and His [all-seeing] eyes were [flashing] like a flame of fire [piercing into my being].

⁴ His feet were like burnished [white-hot] bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was [powerful] like the sound of many waters.

⁵ In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the[18] Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].

⁶ When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God],

⁷ and the Ever-living One [living in and beyond all time and space]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead).

⁸ So write the things[19] which you have seen [in the vision], and the things[20] which are [now happening], and the things[21] which will take place after these things.

⁹ As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels ([22] divine messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

¹⁰ "To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[1] Ephesus write: "These are the words of the One who holds [firmly] the seven stars [which are the angels or messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands (the seven churches):

¹¹ 'I know[2] your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors;

¹² and [I know that] you [who believe] are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and that you have not grown weary [of being faithful to the truth].

¹³ But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].

¹⁴ So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent.

¹⁵ Yet you have this [to your credit], that you hate the works and corrupt teachings of the[3] Nicolaitans [that mislead and delude the people], which I also hate.

¹⁶ He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who[4] overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'

¹⁷ "And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[5] Smyrna write: "These are the words of the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God] who died and came to life [again]:

¹⁸ 'I know your suffering and your poverty (but you are rich), and how you are blasphemed and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [they are Jews only by blood, and do not believe and truly honor the God whom they claim to worship].

¹⁹ Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life.

²⁰ He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will not be hurt by the second death ([6] the lake of fire).'

²¹ "And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[7] Pergamum write: "These are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword [in judgment]:

²² 'I know where you dwell, [a place] where Satan sits enthroned. Yet you are holding fast to My name, and you did not deny[8] My faith even in the days of[9] Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) among you, where Satan dwells.

²³ But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught[10] Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual][11] immorality.

²⁴ You also have some who in the same way are holding to the teaching of the[12] Nicolaitans.

²⁵ Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will]; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war and fight against them with the sword of My mouth [in judgment].

²⁶ He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], to him I will give [the privilege of eating] some of the[13] hidden manna, and I will give him a[14] white stone with a new name engraved on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.'

²⁷ "And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[15] Thyatira write: "These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes [that flash] like a flame of fire [in righteous judgment], and whose feet are like burnished [white-hot] bronze:

²⁸ 'I know your deeds, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are more numerous and greater than the first.

²⁹ But I have this [charge] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and she teaches and misleads My bond-servants so that they commit [acts of sexual] immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols.

³⁰ I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so.

#	AMP
1	Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands;
2	and in the midst of the lampstands I saw someone[17] like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching to His feet, and with a golden sash wrapped around His chest.
3	His head and His hair were white like white wool, [glistening white] like snow; and His [all-seeing] eyes were [flashing] like a flame of fire [piercing into my being].
4	His feet were like burnished [white-hot] bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was [powerful] like the sound of many waters.
5	In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the[18] Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].
6	When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God],
7	and the Ever-living One [living in and beyond all time and space]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead).
8	So write the things[19] which you have seen [in the vision], and the things[20] which are [now happening], and the things[21] which will take place after these things.
9	As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels ([22] divine messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
10	"To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[1] Ephesus write: "These are the words of the One who holds [firmly] the seven stars [which are the angels or messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands (the seven churches):
11	'I know[2] your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors;
12	and [I know that] you [who believe] are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and that you have not grown weary [of being faithful to the truth].
13	But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].
14	So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent.
15	Yet you have this [to your credit], that you hate the works and corrupt teachings of the[3] Nicolaitans [that mislead and delude the people], which I also hate.
16	He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who[4] overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'
17	"And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[5] Smyrna write: "These are the words of the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God] who died and came to life [again]:
18	'I know your suffering and your poverty (but you are rich), and how you are blasphemed and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [they are Jews only by blood, and do not believe and truly honor the God whom they claim to worship].
19	Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life.
20	He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will not be hurt by the second death ([6] the lake of fire).'
21	"And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[7] Pergamum write: "These are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword [in judgment]:
22	'I know where you dwell, [a place] where Satan sits enthroned. Yet you are holding fast to My name, and you did not deny[8] My faith even in the days of[9] Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed (martyred) among you, where Satan dwells.
23	But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught[10] Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual][11] immorality.
24	You also have some who in the same way are holding to the teaching of the[12] Nicolaitans.
25	Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God's will]; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war and fight against them with the sword of My mouth [in judgment].
26	He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], to him I will give [the privilege of eating] some of the[13] hidden manna, and I will give him a[14] white stone with a new name engraved on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.'
27	"And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in[15] Thyatira write: "These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes [that flash] like a flame of fire [in righteous judgment], and whose feet are like burnished [white-hot] bronze:
28	'I know your deeds, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are more numerous and greater than the first.
29	But I have this [charge] against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and she teaches and misleads My bond-servants so that they commit [acts of sexual] immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols.
30	I gave her time to repent [to change her inner self and her sinful way of thinking], but she has no desire to repent of her immorality and refuses to do so.

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