| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 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. | 1"Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: "The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. |
| 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. | 2Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God. |
| 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. | 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you. |
| 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. | 4But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy. |
| 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. | 5In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels. |
| 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 | 6"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. |
| 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: | 7"Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: "The Holy One, the True One, the One who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and closes and no one opens says: |
| 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. | 8I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, look, I have placed before you an open door that no one is able to close. |
| 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. | 9Take note! I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying--note this--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. |
| 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. | 10Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. |
| 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. | 11I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. |
| 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. | 12The victor: I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God--the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God--and My new name. |
| 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 | 13"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. |
| 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: | 14"Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God's creation says: |
| 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! | 15I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. |
| 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! | 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. |
| 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. | 17Because you say, I'm rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,' and you don't know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, |
| 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. | 18I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. |
| 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. | 19As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent. |
| 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. | 20Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. |
| 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. | 21The victor: I will give him the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne. |
| 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” | 22"Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches." |
| 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. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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