Revelation 3
Worldwide English (New Testament)
3 Write this to the angel of the church people in Sardis: Here are the words of the one who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars. `He says, "I know what you do. People say that you are alive, but you are dead.
2 Wake up! You still have a little life left in you. Make it stronger before it dies altogether. I have not seen you do anything that looked right to God.
3 So remember the things you were told and the things you have heard. Obey them. Stop the things you have been doing. If you do not wake up, I will come to you like a thief. You will not know when I will come to you.
4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not made their clothes dirty. They will walk with me in white clothes, because they are good enough.
5 He who wins will wear white clothes. I will not take his name out of the book of life. I will tell his name to my Father and to his angels."
6 `He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'
7 `Write this to the angel of the church people in Philadelphia: Here are the words of the one who is holy and true. He has David's key. No one will shut what he opens. And no one will open what he shuts.
8 `He says, "I know what you do. Look, I have opened a door in front of you. No one can shut it. I know that you do not have much power. But you have obeyed my word and you have never said you did not believe in me.
9 Look! I will bring some people who belong to Satan's group. They call themselves Jews, but they are not real Jews. They lie. Look, I will make them come and kneel down in front of you. They will know that I have loved you.
10 You have obeyed my word and been patient. So I will keep you safe in the time of trouble which will come all over the world. It will test the people who live on earth.
11 I am coming again soon! Hold on to the faith which you have, so that no one will stop you receiving your reward in heaven.
12 I will make the person who wins become a strong post in the temple of my God. I will keep him strong. He will never leave it again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of my God's city. This city is the new Jerusalem. It comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write my new name on him."
13 `He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'
14 `Write this to the angel of the church people in Laodicea: Here are the words of the one whose name is Truth. What he says can be trusted. He is the one who began all that God made.
15 `He says, "I know what you do. I know that you are neither cold nor hot. And I wish that you were cold or hot.
16 So I will spit you out of my mouth, because you are only warm and not hot or cold.
17 You say, `I am rich and have many things. I need nothing.' You do not know that you are in trouble and need help. You are poor. You are blind. And you have no clothes to wear.
18 I tell you what you should do. You should buy from me gold that has been made clean by fire. Then you will be rich. And you should buy from me white clothes to wear. Then people will not see that you have no clothes, and you will not be ashamed. You should buy from me healing oil to put on your eyes. Then you will be able to see.
19 I tell off and punish the people I love. So get busy and stop doing wrong.
20 Listen, I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him. I will eat with him, and he will eat with me.
21 He who wins will sit with me on my throne in heaven. I won too, and I sat down with my Father on his throne."
22 `He who can hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'
Revelation 3
Common English Bible
Message to Sardis
3 “Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis:
These are the words of the one who holds God’s seven spirits and the seven stars: I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, and you are in fact dead. 2 Wake up and strengthen whatever you have left, teetering on the brink of death, for I’ve found that your works are far from complete in the eyes of my God. 3 So remember what you received and heard. Hold on to it and change your hearts and lives. If you don’t wake up, I will come like a thief, and you won’t know what time I will come upon you. 4 But you do have a few people in Sardis who haven’t stained their clothing. They will walk with me clothed in white because they are worthy. 5 Those who emerge victorious will wear white clothing like this. I won’t scratch out their names from the scroll of life, but will declare their names in the presence of my Father and his angels. 6 If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Message to Philadelphia
7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
These are the words of the one who is holy and true, who has the key of David. Whatever he opens, no one will shut; and whatever he shuts, no one opens. 8 I know your works. Look! I have set in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have so little power, and yet you have kept my word and haven’t denied my name. 9 Because of this I will make the people from Satan’s synagogue (who say they are Jews and really aren’t, but are lying)—I will make them come and bow down at your feet and realize that I have loved you. 10 Because you kept my command to endure, I will keep you safe through the time of testing that is about to come over the whole world, to test those who live on earth. 11 I’m coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your crown. 12 As for those who emerge victorious, I will make them pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also write on them my own new name. 13 If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Message to Laodicea
14 “Write this to the angel of the church in Laodicea:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler[a] of God’s creation. 15 I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 After all, you say, ‘I’m rich, and I’ve grown wealthy, and I don’t need a thing.’ You don’t realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. 18 My advice is that you buy gold from me that has been purified by fire so that you may be rich, and white clothing to wear so that your nakedness won’t be shamefully exposed, and ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see. 19 I correct and discipline those whom I love. So be earnest and change your hearts and lives. 20 Look! I’m standing at the door and knocking. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to be with them, and will have dinner with them, and they will have dinner with me. 21 As for those who emerge victorious, I will allow them to sit with me on my throne, just as I emerged victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 3:14 Or beginning
Revelation 3
King James Version
3 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath 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 how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall 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 hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make 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 world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the 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 tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
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