Revelation 3
International Children’s Bible
To the Church in Sardis
3 “Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis:
“The One who has the seven spirits and the seven stars says this to you. I know what you do. People say that you are alive, but really you are dead. 2 Wake up! Make yourselves stronger while you still have something left and before it dies completely. I have found that what you are doing is not good enough for my God. 3 So do not forget what you have received and heard. Obey it. Change your hearts and lives! You must wake up, or I will come to you and surprise you like a thief. And you will not know when I will come. 4 But you have a few there in Sardis who have kept themselves clean. They will walk with me. They will wear white clothes, because they are worthy. 5 He who wins the victory will be dressed in white clothes like them. I will not take away his name from the book of life. I will say that he belongs to me before my Father and before his angels. 6 Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Philadelphia
7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
“The One who is holy and true says this to you. He holds the key of David. When he opens something, it cannot be closed. And when he closes something, it cannot be opened. 8 I know what you do. I have put an open door before you, and no one can close it. I know that you have a little strength. But you have followed my teaching. And you were not afraid to speak my name. 9 Listen! There is a synagogue that belongs to Satan. Those in this synagogue say they are Jews, but they are liars. They are not true Jews. I will make them come before you and bow at your feet. They will know that I have loved you. 10 You have followed my teaching about not giving up. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the whole world. This trouble will test those who live on earth.
11 “I am coming soon. Continue the way you are now. Then no one will take away your crown. 12 I will make the one who wins the victory a pillar in the temple of my God. He will never have to leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God. This city is the new Jerusalem.[a] It comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also write on him my new name. 13 Every person who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Laodicea
14 “Write this to the angel of the church in Laodicea:
“The Amen[b] is the One who is the faithful and true witness. He is the ruler of all that God has made. He says this to you: 15 I know what you do. You are not hot or cold. I wish that you were hot or cold! 16 But you are only warm—not hot, not cold. So I am ready to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say you are rich. You think you have become wealthy and do not need anything. But you do not know that you are really miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I advise you to buy gold from me—gold made pure in fire. Then you can be truly rich. Buy from me clothes that are white. Then you can cover your shameful nakedness. Buy from me medicine to put on your eyes. Then you can truly see.
19 “I correct and punish those whom I love. So be eager to do right. Change your hearts and lives. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him. And he will eat with me.
21 “He who wins the victory will sit with me on my throne. It was the same with me. I won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3
Jubilee Bible 2000
3 ¶ And unto the angel of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} in Sardis write; These things, saith he that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember, therefore, of that which thou hast received and heard and hold to it and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Yet thou hast a few persons in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
5 He that overcomes shall likewise be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
6 He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}
7 ¶ And to the angel of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} in Philadelphia write; These things, saith he that is Holy and True, he who has the key of David, who opens and no one shuts and shuts, and no one opens;
8 I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no one can shut it, for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but do lie; behold, I will constrain them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the entire world, to try those that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
12 He that overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God which is the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from and with my God, and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}
14 ¶ And unto the angel of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of the Laodiceans write; Behold, he who saith, Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined in the fire, that thou may be made rich; and clothed in white raiment, so that the shame of thy nakedness not be uncovered; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou may see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and call; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the congregations. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International