| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1"To the messenger of the church in Sardis, write: 'The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this: 'I know what you've been doing. You are known for being alive, but you are dead. | 1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. |
| 2Be alert, and strengthen the things that are left, which are about to die. I note that your actions are incomplete before my God. | 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. |
| 3So remember what you received and heard. Obey it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you won't know the time when I will come to you. | 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. |
| 4But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me in white clothes because they are worthy. | 4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. |
| 5The person who conquers in this way will wear white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and his angels. | 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. |
| 6Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'" | 6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. The Message to the Church in Philadelphia |
| 7"To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write: 'The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens a door that no one can shut, and who shuts a door that no one can open, 'says this: | 7 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: |
| 8I know what you've been doing. Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have only a little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name. | 8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. |
| 9I will make those who belong to the synagogue of Satan—those who claim to be Jews and aren't, but are lying—come and bow down at your feet. Then they will realize that I have loved you. | 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love. |
| 10Because you have obeyed my command to endure, I will keep you from the hour of testing that is coming to the whole world to test those living on the earth. | 10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. |
| 11I am coming soon! Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your victor's crown. | 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. |
| 12I will make the one who conquers to become a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and he will never go out of it again. I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God), and my own new name. | 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. |
| 13Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'" | 13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. The Message to the Church in Laodicea |
| 14"To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write: 'The Amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the originator of God's creation, says this: | 14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: |
| 15I know your actions, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. | 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! |
| 16Since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth. | 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! |
| 17You say, "I am rich. I have become wealthy. I don't need anything." Yet you don't realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. | 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. |
| 18Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire so you may be rich, white clothes to wear so your shameful nakedness won't show, and ointment to put on your eyes so you may see. | 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. |
| 19I correct and discipline those whom I love, so be serious and repent! | 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. |
| 20Look! I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me. | 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. |
| 21To the one who conquers I will give a place to sit with me on my throne, just as I have conquered and have sat down with my Father on his throne. | 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. |
| 22Let everyone listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'" | 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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