Revelation 3

¹ ‘Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead.

² Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect,

³ and yet do you remember how eager you were. when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me.

⁴ There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white.

⁵ Those who prove victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my Father and his angels.

⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

⁷ Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia and say, “Here is the message of the holy and faithful one who has the key of David, so that when he opens, nobody can close, and when he closes, nobody can open:[*a]

⁸ I know all about you; and now I have opened in front of you a door that nobody will be able to close – and I know that though you are not very strong, you have kept my commandments and not disowned my name.

⁹ Now I am going to make the synagogue of Satan – those who profess to be Jews, but are liars, because they are no such thing – I will make them come and fall at your feet[*b] and admit that you are the people that I love.[*c]

¹⁰ Because you have kept my commandment to endure trials, I will keep you safe in the time of trial which is going to come for the whole world, to test the people of the world.

¹¹ Soon I shall be with you: hold firmly to what you already have, and let nobody take your prize away from you.

¹² Those who prove victorious I will make into pillars in the sanctuary of my God, and they will stay there for ever; I will inscribe on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God in heaven, and my own new name as well.

¹³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

¹⁴ ‘Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea and say, “Here is the message of the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the ultimate source of God’s creation:

¹⁵ I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other,

¹⁶ but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.

¹⁷ You say to yourself, ‘I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want’, never realising that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too.

¹⁸ I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see.

¹⁹ I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves:[*d] so repent in real earnest.

²⁰ Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him.

²¹ Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne.

²² If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”‘