Revelation 3-5

New International Version

To the Church in Sardis

3 “To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis^(A) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^[b]^(B) of God and the seven stars.^(C) I know your deeds;^(D) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.^(E) ²Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.^(F) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,^(G) and you will not know at what time^(H) I will come to you.

⁴Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.^(I) They will walk with me, dressed in white,^(J) for they are worthy. ⁵The one who is victorious^(K) will, like them, be dressed in white.^(L) I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life,^(M) but will acknowledge that name before my Father^(N) and his angels. ⁶Whoever has ears, let them hear^(O) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia^(P) write:

These are the words of him who is holy^(Q) and true,^(R) who holds the key of David.^(S) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸I know your deeds.^(T) See, I have placed before you an open door^(U) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.^(V) ⁹I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,^(W) who claim to be Jews though they are not,^(X) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet^(Y) and acknowledge that I have loved you.^(Z) ¹⁰Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you^(AA) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world^(AB) to test^(AC) the inhabitants of the earth.^(AD)

¹¹I am coming soon.^(AE) Hold on to what you have,^(AF) so that no one will take your crown.^(AG) ¹²The one who is victorious^(AH) I will make a pillar^(AI) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God^(AJ) and the name of the city of my God,^(AK) the new Jerusalem,^(AL) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. ¹³Whoever has ears, let them hear^(AM) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴“To the angel of the church in Laodicea^(AN) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,^(AO) the ruler of God’s creation.^(AP) ¹⁵I know your deeds,^(AQ) that you are neither cold nor hot.^(AR) I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’^(AS) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.^(AT) ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,^(AU) so you can become rich; and white clothes^(AV) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;^(AW) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.^(AX) So be earnest and repent.^(AY) ²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door^(AZ) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,^(BA) I will come in^(BB) and eat with that person, and they with me.

²¹To the one who is victorious,^(BC) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,^(BD) just as I was victorious^(BE) and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²Whoever has ears, let them hear^(BF) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open^(BG) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet^(BH) said, “Come up here,^(BI) and I will show you what must take place after this.”^(BJ) ²At once I was in the Spirit,^(BK) and there before me was a throne in heaven^(BL) with someone sitting on it. ³And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper^(BM) and ruby.^(BN) A rainbow^(BO) that shone like an emerald^(BP) encircled the throne. ⁴Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.^(BQ) They were dressed in white^(BR) and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.^(BS) In front of the throne, seven lamps^(BT) were blazing. These are the seven spirits^[c]^(BU) of God. ⁶Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,^(BV) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,^(BW) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.^(BX) ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.^(BY) ⁸Each of the four living creatures^(BZ) had six wings^(CA) and was covered with eyes all around,^(CB) even under its wings. Day and night^(CC) they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’^[d]^(CD)

who was, and is, and is to come.”^(CE)

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne^(CF) and who lives for ever and ever,^(CG) ¹⁰the twenty-four elders^(CH) fall down before him^(CI) who sits on the throne^(CJ) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,^(CK)
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”^(CL)

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne^(CM) a scroll with writing on both sides^(CN) and sealed^(CO) with seven seals. ²And I saw a mighty angel^(CP) proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion^(CQ) of the tribe of Judah,^(CR) the Root of David,^(CS) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶Then I saw a Lamb,^(CT) looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures^(CU) and the elders.^(CV) The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,^(CW) which are the seven spirits^[e]^(CX) of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.^(CY) ⁸And when he had taken it, the four living creatures^(CZ) and the twenty-four elders^(DA) fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp^(DB) and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers^(DC) of God’s people. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying:^(DD)

“You are worthy^(DE) to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood^(DF) you purchased^(DG) for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.^(DH)
¹⁰You have made them to be a kingdom and priests^(DI) to serve our God,
    and they will reign^[f] on the earth.”^(DJ)

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.^(DK) They encircled the throne and the living creatures^(DL) and the elders.^(DM) ¹²In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb,^(DN) who was slain,^(DO)
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”^(DP)

¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth^(DQ) and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne^(DR) and to the Lamb^(DS)
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”^(DT)

¹⁴The four living creatures^(DU) said, “Amen,”^(DV) and the elders^(DW) fell down and worshiped.^(DX)