| New Living Translation | NET 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"To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: 'I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality 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. | 2Wake 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. |
| 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. | 3Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know 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 individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed 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. | 5The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare 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 | 6The one who has an ear had better hear 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"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors no one can shut, and shuts doors no one can open: |
| 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 deeds. (Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) I know that you have little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name. |
| 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. | 9Listen! I am going to make those people from the synagogue of Satan--who say they are Jews yet are not, but are lying--Look, I will make them come and bow down at your feet and acknowledge 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 admonition to endure steadfastly, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on 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 soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away 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 one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him 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), and my new name as well. |
| 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 | 13The one who has an ear had better hear 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"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God's creation: |
| 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 deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either 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 am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing," but do not realize 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. | 18take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see! |
| 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. | 19All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest 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 am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal 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. | 21I will grant the one who conquers permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered 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.” | 22The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" |
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