3 ‘Write this to the angel of the church at Sardis:
“This is the message to you from the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
I know everything that you do. I know that people praise you. They think that you are alive. But that is not true, because really you are dead in your spirits. 2 Wake up! You must become strong again. Do not let the little bit of life that you have completely disappear! I know that there are still more things for you to do to please my Father God. 3 So remember God's message that you have heard. Obey what God has said. Turn away from the wrong things that you do. Change the way that you live. If you do not wake up, I will come to punish you. I will come secretly, like someone who robs people. So you will not know what time I will come to you.
4 But you have a few people among you in Sardis who have not done these bad things. They are like people who have kept their clothes clean. They will walk with me and they will wear white clothes. They are good people and it is right for them to wear these white clothes. 5 Everyone who wins against Satan will wear white clothes like they do. I will never remove their names from God's book of life. [ a ] I will say clearly to my Father and his angels that those people belong to me. 6 God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully!” ’
7 ‘Write this to the angel of the church at Philadelphia:
“This is my message to you. I am the one who is completely good, the true God. I have King David's key in my hand. [ b ] When I open a door, nobody can shut it. And when I shut a door, nobody can open it.
8 I know everything that you do. Look! I have opened a door that is in front of you. Nobody can shut that door. I know that you are not very strong. But you have obeyed what I told you. You have continued to believe in me. 9 Some people there say that they are Jews. But that is not true. They are telling lies. Instead, they belong to a group of Satan's people. I will cause those people to bend down low in front of you to give you honour. Then they will understand that I love you. 10 I have told you to be patient in this difficult time. You have obeyed what I told you. Because of that, I will keep you safe from the time of great trouble that will come. This trouble will come to everyone who lives in the world. It will show me what each person is really like.
11 I will come soon. [ c ] Continue to obey my message that you already know. Then nobody can take away your crown which is God's gift to you. [ d ]
12 Everyone who wins against Satan will be safe in God's house. I will make them like a strong pillar in the temple of my God. They will never leave that place again. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of his city. The name of that city is the new Jerusalem. [ e ] It will come down from heaven. My God will send it down to the earth. I will also write my new name on those people. 13 God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully!” ’
14 ‘Write this to the angel of the church at Laodicea:
“This is my message to you. I am the one whose name is ‘Amen’. [ f ] I faithfully tell people God's true message. Everything that God has created starts with me.
15 I know everything that you do. I know that you are neither cold nor hot. It would be better if you were either cold or hot. 16 But you are only warm. Because you are neither cold nor hot, I am ready to throw you away completely. [ g ]
17 You say, ‘I am rich. God has helped me to have many things. I do not need anything more.’ But you do not know how very poor you are really! You are like people who cannot see. You are like people who are without clothes. Really, other people should feel very sorry for you. 18 So I tell you that you should buy gold from me. With my gold, you would be really rich. My gold is the best, because it has been through fire. You should also buy white clothes from me to dress yourselves. Then you will not be ashamed because you have no clothes. You should also buy medicine from me to put on your eyes. Then you will be able to see well. [ h ]
19 I help everyone that I love. When they have done wrong things, I tell them, ‘You have done a wrong thing.’ I show them the right thing that they should do. So be serious about how you live. Stop doing wrong things and turn to me. 20 Look! I am standing at the door of your house. I am knocking on your door. When you hear my voice, you should open the door. Then I will come in. We will eat a meal together as friends.
21 Everyone who wins against Satan will come to sit with me on my throne where I rule. I won against my enemies. Then I sat down with my Father on his throne. I will give you the same authority. 22 God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully!” ’
3 “Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis:
“Here is a message from the one who has the seven spirits and the seven stars.
“I know what you do. People say that you are alive, but really you are dead. 2 Wake up! Make yourselves stronger before what little strength you have left is completely gone. I find that what you do is not good enough for my God. 3 So don’t 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. You will not know when I will come.
4 “But you have a few people in your group there in Sardis who have kept themselves clean. They will walk with me. They will wear white clothes, because they are worthy. 5 Everyone who wins the victory will be dressed in white clothes like them. I will not remove their names from the book of life. I will say that they belong to me before my Father and before his angels. 6 Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
“Here is a message from the one who is holy and true, the one who 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 before you an open door that no one can close. I know you are weak, but you have followed my teaching. You were not afraid to speak my name. 9 Listen! There is a group [ a ] that belongs to Satan. They 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 you are the people I have loved. 10 You followed my command to endure patiently. So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the world—a time that will test everyone living on earth.
11 “I am coming soon. Hold on to the faith you have, so that no one can take away your crown. 12 Those who win the victory will be pillars in the temple of my God. I will make that happen for them. They will never again have to leave God’s temple. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God. That city is the new Jerusalem. [ b ] It is coming down out of heaven from my God. I will also write my new name on them. 13 Everyone who hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
14 “Write this to the angel of the church in Laodicea:
“Here is a message from the Amen, [ c ] the faithful and true witness, the ruler of all that God has made.
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 don’t need anything. But you don’t 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 will be rich. I tell you this: Buy clothes that are white. Then you will be able to cover your shameful nakedness. I also tell you to buy medicine to put on your eyes. Then you will be able to see.
19 “I correct and punish the people I love. So show that nothing is more important to you than living right. Change your hearts and lives. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you. And you will eat with me.
21 “I will let everyone who wins the victory 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 hears this should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
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.
3 “To the angel of the church in ( A ) Sardis write:
He who has [ a ] ( B ) the seven spirits of God and ( C ) the seven stars, says this: ‘ ( D ) I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are ( E ) dead. 2 Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 So ( F ) remember [ b ] what you have received and heard; and [ c ] keep it , and ( G ) repent. Then if you are not alert, ( H ) I will come ( I ) like a thief, and you will not know at ( J ) what hour I will come to you. 4 But you have a few [ d ] ( K ) people in ( L ) Sardis who have not ( M ) soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me ( N ) in white, for they are worthy. 5 ( O ) The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in ( P ) white garments; and I will not ( Q ) erase his name from the book of life, and ( R ) I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 ( S ) The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
7 “And to the angel of the church in ( T ) Philadelphia write:
( U ) He who is holy, ( V ) who is true, who has ( W ) the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 ‘ ( X ) I know your [ e ] deeds. Behold, I have put before you ( Y ) an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and ( Z ) have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I [ f ] will make those of ( AA ) the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them ( AB ) come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that ( AC ) I have loved you. 10 Because you have ( AD ) kept ( AE ) My [ g ] word of perseverance, ( AF ) I also will keep you from the hour of the [ h ] ( AG ) testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole [ i ] ( AH ) world, to [ j ] test ( AI ) those who live on the earth. 11 ( AJ ) I am coming quickly; ( AK ) hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your ( AL ) crown. 12 ( AM ) The one who overcomes, I will make him a ( AN ) pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the ( AO ) name of My God, and ( AP ) the name of the city of My God, ( AQ ) the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My ( AR ) new name. 13 ( AS ) The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
14 “To the angel of the church in ( AT ) Laodicea write:
( AU ) The Amen, ( AV ) the faithful and true Witness, ( AW ) the [ k ] Origin of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘ ( AX ) I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; ( AY ) I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “ ( AZ ) I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, 18 I advise you to ( BA ) buy from Me ( BB ) gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and ( BC ) white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ( BD ) the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. 19 ( BE ) Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and ( BF ) repent. 20 Behold, I stand ( BG ) at the door and ( BH ) knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ( BI ) I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ( BJ ) The one who overcomes, I will grant to him ( BK ) to sit with Me on My throne, as ( BL ) I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. 22 ( BM ) The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
3 “To the angel [ a ] of the church in Sardis ( A ) write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits [ b ] ( B ) of God and the seven stars. ( C ) I know your deeds; ( D ) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ( E ) 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. ( F ) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, ( G ) and you will not know at what time ( H ) I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. ( I ) They will walk with me, dressed in white, ( J ) for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious ( K ) will, like them, be dressed in white. ( L ) I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, ( M ) but will acknowledge that name before my Father ( N ) and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear ( O ) what the Spirit says to the churches.
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia ( P ) write:
These are the words of him who is holy ( Q ) and true, ( R ) who holds the key of David. ( S ) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. ( T ) See, I have placed before you an open door ( U ) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. ( V ) 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, ( W ) who claim to be Jews though they are not, ( X ) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet ( Y ) and acknowledge that I have loved you. ( Z ) 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you ( AA ) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world ( AB ) to test ( AC ) the inhabitants of the earth. ( AD )
11 I am coming soon. ( AE ) Hold on to what you have, ( AF ) so that no one will take your crown. ( AG ) 12 The one who is victorious ( AH ) I will make a pillar ( AI ) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God ( AJ ) and the name of the city of my God, ( AK ) the new Jerusalem, ( AL ) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear ( AM ) what the Spirit says to the churches.
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea ( AN ) write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, ( AO ) the ruler of God’s creation. ( AP ) 15 I know your deeds, ( AQ ) that you are neither cold nor hot. ( AR ) I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ ( AS ) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ( AT ) 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, ( AU ) so you can become rich; and white clothes ( AV ) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; ( AW ) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. ( AX ) So be earnest and repent. ( AY ) 20 Here I am! I stand at the door ( AZ ) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, ( BA ) I will come in ( BB ) and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, ( BC ) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, ( BD ) just as I was victorious ( BE ) and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear ( BF ) what the Spirit says to the churches.”
