Revelation 3:2
New International Version
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

Berean Standard Bible
Wake up and strengthen what remains, which is about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.

Berean Literal Bible
Be watching, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die; for I have not found your works having been completed in the sight of My God.

King James Bible
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

New King James Version
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
‘Wake up, 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.

NASB 1977
‘Wake up, 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.

Legacy Standard Bible
Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My God.

Amplified Bible
Wake up, and strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me], which is about to die; for I have not found [any of] your deeds completed in the sight of My God or meeting His requirements.

Christian Standard Bible
Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God.

American Standard Version
Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God.

Contemporary English Version
Wake up! You have only a little strength left, and it is almost gone. So try to become stronger. I have found that you are not completely obeying God.

English Revised Version
Be thou watchful, and stablish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine fulfilled before my God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Be alert, and strengthen the things that are left which are about to die. I have found that what you are doing has not been completed in the sight of my God.

Good News Translation
So wake up, and strengthen what you still have before it dies completely. For I find that what you have done is not yet perfect in the sight of my God.

International Standard Version
Be alert, and strengthen the things that are left, which are about to die. I note that your actions are incomplete before my God.

Majority Standard Bible
Wake up and strengthen what remains, which is about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.

NET Bible
Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

New Heart English Bible
Wake up, and keep the things that remain, which were about to die, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Weymouth New Testament
Rouse yourself and keep awake, and strengthen those things which remain but have well-nigh perished; for I have found no doings of yours free from imperfection in the sight of My God.

World English Bible
Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
be watching, and strengthen the rest of the things that are about to die, for I have not found your works fulfilled before God.

Berean Literal Bible
Be watching, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die; for I have not found your works having been completed in the sight of My God.

Young's Literal Translation
become watching, and strengthen the rest of the things that are about to die, for I have not found thy works fulfilled before God.

Smith's Literal Translation
Be watching, and make firm the remaining things, which are about to die: For I have not found thy works perfected before God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die. For I find not thy works full before my God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Be vigilant, and confirm the things that remain, lest they soon die out. For I do not find your works to be full in the sight of my God.

New American Bible
Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

New Revised Standard Version
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Awake, and hold fast to the things which remain but are ready to die; for I have not found your works perfect before my God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Be vigilant and confirm what remains of those things that are ready to die, for I have not found you such that your works are perfect before God.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die; for I have not found your works perfect before God.

Godbey New Testament
Be you watchful, and strengthen the remaining things, which are about to die. For I have not found your works perfect before my God.

Haweis New Testament
Be vigilant and strengthen the things which remain, which are ready to die; for I have not found thy works complete before God.

Mace New Testament
be watchful, and fortify the rest that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Weymouth New Testament
Rouse yourself and keep awake, and strengthen those things which remain but have well-nigh perished; for I have found no doings of yours free from imperfection in the sight of My God.

Worrell New Testament
Become watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your works complete before My God.

Worsley New Testament
be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect in the sight of God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
To the Church in Sardis
1“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of the One who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. 2 Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God. 3Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.…

Cross References
Matthew 24:42-44
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come. / But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. / For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

1 Thessalonians 5:6
So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Luke 12:35-40
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. / Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. / Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them. ...

Romans 13:11-12
And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. / The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Ephesians 5:14
So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.

Mark 13:33-37
Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come. / It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. / Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. ...

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. / Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,

2 Peter 3:17-18
Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing. / But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Isaiah 56:10
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.

Ezekiel 3:17-21
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. / If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. / But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself. ...

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected.

Jeremiah 6:17
I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’ But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’


Treasury of Scripture

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God.

watchful.

Revelation 16:15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Isaiah 56:10
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

Isaiah 62:6,7
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, …

strengthen.

Revelation 2:4
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Deuteronomy 3:28
But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

Job 4:4-5
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees…

thy works.

1 Kings 11:4
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

1 Kings 15:3
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

2 Chronicles 25:2
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

Jump to Previous
Awake Completed Deeds Die Doings Establish Found Free God's Imperfection Judged Measure Perfect Perfected Perished Point Ready Rest Rouse Strengthen Strong Throw Wake Watch Watchful Well-Nigh Works
Jump to Next
Awake Completed Deeds Die Doings Establish Found Free God's Imperfection Judged Measure Perfect Perfected Perished Point Ready Rest Rouse Strengthen Strong Throw Wake Watch Watchful Well-Nigh Works
Revelation 3
1. The angel of the church of Sardis is reproved and exhorted to repent.
37. The angel of the church of Philadelphia is approved for his diligence and patience;
14. the angel of Laodicea rebuked for being neither hot nor cold.
20. Christ stands at the door and knocks.














Wake up
The phrase "Wake up" is a call to vigilance and alertness. In the Greek, the word used is "γρηγορῶ" (grēgoreō), which means to be watchful or to stay awake. This is a spiritual awakening, urging the church in Sardis to become aware of their spiritual lethargy. Historically, Sardis was known for its complacency, having been captured twice due to a lack of vigilance. This serves as a metaphor for the church's need to be spiritually alert and responsive to God's call.

and strengthen
The word "strengthen" comes from the Greek "στηρίζω" (stērizō), meaning to make firm or establish. This implies a need to reinforce and solidify their faith and actions. The church is encouraged to fortify what remains of their spiritual life, suggesting that there is still hope and potential for renewal. This call to strengthen is a reminder of the need for perseverance and commitment in the Christian walk.

what remains
"What remains" refers to the remnants of faith and good works that still exist within the church. Despite their spiritual decline, there is still a foundation upon which they can rebuild. This phrase highlights God's grace and patience, as He acknowledges the potential for revival and restoration. It is a call to focus on and nurture the remaining aspects of their faith that are still alive.

which was about to die
This phrase indicates the urgency of the situation. The Greek word "ἀποθνῄσκω" (apothnēskō) means to die or perish. The church's spiritual state is on the brink of death, emphasizing the critical need for immediate action. This serves as a warning that without intervention, their remaining faith and works will completely wither away. It is a sobering reminder of the consequences of spiritual neglect.

for I have not found your deeds complete
The word "complete" is translated from the Greek "πληρόω" (plēroō), meaning to fulfill or bring to completion. This suggests that the church's actions and faith are lacking or unfinished in the eyes of God. It is a call to self-examination and repentance, urging the believers to fulfill their spiritual duties and live out their faith fully. This phrase challenges the church to strive for spiritual maturity and completeness in their relationship with God.

in the sight of My God
This phrase underscores the divine perspective from which their deeds are evaluated. "In the sight of My God" emphasizes that it is God's judgment and standards that matter, not human approval. It serves as a reminder that God sees and knows all, and it is His assessment that ultimately counts. This calls the church to align their actions with God's will and to seek His approval above all else.

(2) Be watchful.--Rather, become wakeful. It will not do simply to rouse and sleepily grasp at their spiritual weapons, or even to stand for once at arms; you must become of wakeful habit. Strengthen the remaining things which were (when I roused you) about to die; for I have not found thy (or, any of thy) works perfect--completed or fulfilled, fully done in weight and tale and measure--before my God.

Verse 2. - Be watchful; literally, become watching. The use of ψίψνομαι implies that the watchful state is not the normal one - a change is needed before the watching can come about (comp. Revelation 1:9, 10, 18; Revelation 2:8; Revelation 4:2; Revelation 6:12, etc.). The use of the present participle instead of an adjective ("watching!" for "watchful") makes the charge more definite; not merely "be of a watchful character," but "become a watcher" (comp. Revelation 16:10; Mark 1:4; Mark 9:3, 7; Hebrews 5:12). Stablish the things that remain, which were ready to die. The reading, "were ready to die," is the best attested, and as being less smooth than "are ready to die," was more likely to be altered. It anticipates the time when the command will be obeyed: "which were ready to die when thou didst begin to stablish them." No doubt τὰ λοιπά may be masculine in signification, and mean those members of the Church who have still some life in them. But this interpretation anticipates ver. 4, which apparently introduces a new fact. It seems better, therefore, to retain the neuter, and interpret "the things that remain" as meaning the few good elements of faith and practice which still survived. The externals of the Christian life were there; otherwise it could not have been even nominally Christian. And these externals might be made realities to support the revived life of the Church. For I have found no works of thine. The difference between the Authorized Version and the Revised Version here depends upon the presence or absence of the article before ἔργα. The balance of probability is against τά, and its absence makes the reproach stronger. Fulfilled before my God. The substitution of "fulfilled" (Revised Version) for "perfect" (Authorized Version) is important. The Greek is πεπληρωμένα (John 16:24; John 17:13, etc.), not τέλεια (1 John 4:18). And "fulfilled" is better than "complete" (Alford, Tregelles), in order to bring out the connexion with the numerous places in which the same verb occurs, especially in the writings of St. John (Revelation 5:11; John 3:29; John 7:8; John 12:38; John 13:18; John 15:11, 25, etc.; 1 John 1:4 2John 12); in many of which passages "complete" would not stand as a rendering. "Fulfilled," or" made full," means made up to the right standard of excellence. The works of the Sardian Church have been weighed, and found wanting before God. "A minister of Christ is very often in highest honour with men for the performance of one half of his work, while God is regarding him with displeasure for the neglect of the other half." "Before my God" is undoubtedly the true reading, whatever may be the case in Revelation 2:7. Only in the writings of St. John does Jesus Christ speak of the Father as "my God;" and this fact is one more link between the Fourth Gospel and the Apocalypse. In this chapter we have five instances - here and ver. 12 (comp. Revelation 2:7 [possibly] and John 20:17). In Matthew 27:46 Christ adopts the language of Psalm 22:1, and addresses the Father as" my God;" and St. Paul uses similar language (Ephesians 1:17). The expression, "before God" (ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ), is specially common in the Apocalypse and in the writings of St. Luke and of St. Paul; it does not occur in either St. Matthew or St. Mark.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Wake up
γρηγορῶν (grēgorōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1127: (a) I am awake (in the night), watch, (b) I am watchful, on the alert, vigilant. From egeiro; to keep awake, i.e. Watch.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

strengthen
στήρισον (stērison)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4741: From a presumed derivative of histemi; to set fast, i.e. to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or to confirm.

what
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

remains,
λοιπὰ (loipa)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3062: Left, left behind, the remainder, the rest, the others. Masculine plural of a derivative of leipo; remaining ones.

which
(ha)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

was about
ἔμελλον (emellon)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3195: A strengthened form of melo; to intend, i.e. Be about to be, do, or suffer something.

to die;
ἀποθανεῖν (apothanein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 599: To be dying, be about to die, wither, decay. From apo and thnesko; to die off.

for
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

I have found
εὕρηκά (heurēka)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2147: A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

deeds
ἔργα (erga)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2041: From a primary ergo; toil; by implication, an act.

incomplete
πεπληρωμένα (peplērōmena)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 4137: From pleres; to make replete, i.e. to cram, level up, or to furnish, satisfy, execute, finish, verify, etc.

in the sight of
ἐνώπιον (enōpion)
Preposition
Strong's 1799: Neuter of a compound of en and a derivative of optanomai; in the face of.

My
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Prophecy: Revelation 3:2 Wake up and keep the things that (Rev. Re Apocalypse)
Revelation 3:1
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