Revelation 2:19

2:19 ‘I know your deeds: your love, faith, ¹  service, and steadfast endurance. ²  In fact, ³  your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones.

Revelation 2:6

2:6 But you do have this going for you: ⁴  You hate what the Nicolaitans ⁵  practice ⁶  – practices I also hate.

Revelation 3:15

3:15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. ⁷  I wish you were either cold or hot!

Revelation 2:26

2:26 And to the one who conquers ⁸  and who continues in ⁹  my deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations ¹⁰  –

Revelation 3:2

3:2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about ¹¹  to die, because I have not found your deeds complete ¹²  in the sight ¹³  of my God.

Revelation 2:2

2:2 ‘I know your works as well as your ¹⁴  labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate ¹⁵  evil. You have even put to the test ¹⁶  those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false.

Revelation 2:5

2:5 Therefore, remember from what high state ¹⁷  you have fallen and repent! Do ¹⁸  the deeds you did at the first; ¹⁹  if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place – that is, if you do not repent. ²⁰ 

Revelation 2:23

2:23 Furthermore, I will strike her followers ²¹  with a deadly disease, ²²  and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay ²³  each one of you ²⁴  what your deeds deserve. ²⁵ 

Revelation 18:6

18:6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; ²⁶  pay her back double ²⁷  corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her.

Revelation 20:13

20:13 The ²⁸  sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death ²⁹  and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

Revelation 3:1

To the Church in Sardis

3:1 “To ³⁰  the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: ³¹ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ³²  the one who holds ³³  the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation ³⁴  that you are alive, but ³⁵  in reality ³⁶  you are dead.

Revelation 3:8

3:8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put ³⁷  in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) ³⁸  I know ³⁹  that you have little strength, ⁴⁰  but ⁴¹  you have obeyed ⁴²  my word and have not denied my name.

Revelation 14:13

14:13 Then ⁴³  I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this:

‘Blessed are the dead,

those who die in the Lord from this moment on!’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “so they can rest from their hard work, ⁴⁴  because their deeds will follow them.” ⁴⁵ 

Revelation 15:3

15:3 They ⁴⁶  sang the song of Moses the servant ⁴⁷  of God and the song of the Lamb: ⁴⁸ 

“Great and astounding are your deeds,

Lord God, the All-Powerful! ⁴⁹ 

Just ⁵⁰  and true are your ways,

King over the nations! ⁵¹ 

Revelation 20:12

20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then ⁵²  books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. ⁵³  So ⁵⁴  the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. ⁵⁵ 

[2:19]  ¹ tn Grk “and faith.” Here and before the following term καί (kai) has not been translated because English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the next to last and last terms in a list.

[2:19]  ² tn Or “perseverance.”

[2:19]  ³ tn The phrase “In fact” is supplied in the translation to bring out the ascensive quality of the clause. It would also be possible to supply here an understood repetition of the phrase “I know” from the beginning of the verse (so NRSV). Grk “and your last deeds [that are] greater than the first.”

[2:6]  ⁴ tn Grk “But you do have this.” The words “going for you” are supplied to complete the English idiom; other phrases like “in your favor” (NIV) or “to your credit” (NRSV) could also be supplied.

[2:6]  ⁵ sn The Nicolaitans were a sect (sometimes associated with Nicolaus, one of the seven original deacons in the church in Jerusalem according to Acts 6:5) that apparently taught that Christians could engage in immoral behavior with impunity.

[2:6]  ⁶ tn The expression τὰ ἔργα τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν (ta erga twn Nikolaitwn) has been translated as a subjective genitive.

[3:15]  ⁷ sn Laodicea was near two other towns, each of which had a unique water source. To the north was Hierapolis which had a natural hot spring, often used for medicinal purposes. To the east was Colossae which had cold, pure waters. In contrast to these towns, Laodicea had no permanent supply of good water. Efforts to pipe water to the city from nearby springs were successful, but it would arrive lukewarm. The metaphor in the text is not meant to relate spiritual fervor to temperature. This would mean that Laodicea would be commended for being spiritually cold, but it is unlikely that Jesus would commend this. Instead, the metaphor condemns Laodicea for not providing spiritual healing (being hot) or spiritual refreshment (being cold) to those around them. It is a condemnation of their lack of works and lack of witness.

[2:26]  ¹⁰ tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”

[2:26]  ¹¹ tn Grk “keeps.” In a context that speaks of “holding on to what you have,” the idea here is one of continued faithful behavior (BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 3 has “ὁ τηρῶν τὰ ἔργα μου the one who takes my deeds to heart Rv 2:26”).

[2:26]  ¹² tn Or “over the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[3:2]  ¹³ tn The verb ἔμελλον (emellon) is in the imperfect tense.

[3:2]  ¹⁴ tn The perfect passive participle has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect here.

[3:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “in the judgment.” BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 3 states, “in the opinion/judgment of…As a rule…of θεός or κύριος; so after…πεπληρωμένος Rv 3:2.”

[2:2]  ¹⁶ tn Although the first possessive pronoun σου (sou) is connected to τὰ ἔργα (ta erga) and the second σου is connected to ὑπομονήν (Jupomonhn), semantically κόπον (kopon) is also to be understood as belonging to the Ephesian church. The translation reflects this.

[2:2]  ¹⁷ tn The translation “tolerate” seems to capture the sense of βαστάσαι (bastasai) here. BDAG 171 s.v. βαστάζω 2.b.β says, “bear, endure…κακούς Rv 2:2.…bear patiently, put up with: weaknesses of the weak Ro 15:1; cf. IPol 1:2; evil Rv 2:3.”

[2:2]  ¹⁸ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle was broken off from the previous sentence and translated as an indicative verb beginning a new sentence here in the translation.

[2:5]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “from where,” but status is in view rather than physical position. On this term BDAG 838 s.v. πόθεν 1 states, “from what place? from where?…In imagery μνημόνευε πόθεν πέπτωκες remember from what (state) you have fallen Rv 2:5.”

[2:5]  ²⁰ tn Grk “and do” (a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text). For stylistic reasons in English a new sentence was started here in the translation. The repeated mention of repenting at the end of the verse suggests that the intervening material (“do the deeds you did at first”) specifies how the repentance is to be demonstrated.

[2:5]  ²¹ tn Or “you did formerly.”

[2:5]  ²² tn Although the final clause is somewhat awkward, it is typical of the style of Revelation.

[2:23]  ²² tn Grk “her children,” but in this context a reference to this woman’s followers or disciples is more likely meant.

[2:23]  ²³ tn Grk “I will kill with death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).

[2:23]  ²⁴ tn Grk “I will give.” The sense of δίδωμι (didwmi) in this context is more “repay” than “give.”

[2:23]  ²⁵ sn This pronoun and the following one are plural in the Greek text.

[2:23]  ²⁶ tn Grk “each one of you according to your works.”

[18:6]  ²⁵ tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:6]  ²⁶ tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”

[20:13]  ²⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:13]  ²⁹ sn Here Death is personified (cf. 1 Cor 15:55).

[3:1]  ³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[3:1]  ³² tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[3:1]  ³³ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[3:1]  ³⁴ tn Grk “who has” (cf. 1:16).

[3:1]  ³⁵ tn Grk “a name.”

[3:1]  ³⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[3:1]  ³⁷ tn The prepositional phrase “in reality” is supplied in the translation to make explicit the idea that their being alive was only an illusion.

[3:8]  ³⁴ tn Grk “I have given.”

[3:8]  ³⁵ tn Grk “to shut it,” but English would leave the direct object understood in this case.

[3:8]  ³⁶ tn This translation is based on connecting the ὅτι (Joti) clause with the οἶδα (oida) at the beginning of the verse, giving the content of what is known (see also 3:1, 3:15 for parallels). Because of the intervening clause that is virtually parenthetical (see the note on the word “shut” earlier in this verse), the words “I know that” from the beginning of the verse had to be repeated to make this connection clear for the English reader. However, the ὅτι could be understood as introducing a causal subordinate clause instead and thus translated, “because you have.”

[3:8]  ³⁷ tn Or “little power.”

[3:8]  ³⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[3:8]  ³⁹ tn Grk “and having kept.” The participle ἐτήρησας (ethrhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the translation of τηρέω (threw) as “obey” see L&N 36.19. This is the same word that is used in 3:10 (there translated “kept”) where there is a play on words.

[14:13]  ³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[14:13]  ³⁸ tn Or “from their trouble” (L&N 22.7).

[14:13]  ³⁹ tn Grk “their deeds will follow with them.”

[15:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[15:3]  ⁴¹ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[15:3]  ⁴² tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:3]  ⁴³ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

[15:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.

[15:3]  ⁴⁵ tc Certain mss (Ì⁴⁷ א*^,2 C 1006 1611 1841 pc) read “ages” (αἰώνων, aiwnwn) instead of “nations” (ἐθνῶν, eqnwn), which itself is supported by several mss (א¹ A 051 Ï). The ms evidence seems to be fairly balanced, though αἰώνων has somewhat better support. The replacement of “ages” with “nations” is possibly a scribal attempt to harmonize this verse with the use of “nations” in the following verse. On the other hand, the idea of “nations” fits well with v. 4 and it may be that “ages” is a scribal attempt to assimilate this text to 1 Tim 1:17: “the king of the ages” (βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, basileu" twn aiwnwn). The decision is a difficult one since both scenarios deal well with the evidence, though the verbal parallel with 1 Tim 1:17 is exact while the parallel with v. 4 is not. The term “king” occurs 17 other times (most occurrences refer to earthly kings) in Revelation and it is not used with either “ages” or “nations” apart from this verse. Probably the reading “nations” should be considered original due to the influence of 1 Tim 1:17.

[20:12]  ⁴³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[20:12]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”

[20:12]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.

[20:12]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”