サルデスにある教会の指導者に、次のように書き送りなさい。『この手紙は、神の七つの霊と七つの星を持つ方からのものです。「あなたは生き生きした活動的な教会だと言われていますが、実は死んだ状態にあることを、わたしは知っています。 だから目を覚ましなさい。死の一歩手前まで来ている、残された者たちを力づけなさい。あなたの今までの行いは、どう見ても、神の前に正しくありません。 最初に聞いたこと、また、信じたことを思い出しなさい。それをしっかり守って、もう一度、わたしに心を向けなさい。さもないと、わたしは盗人のように、思いがけない時にあなたを襲って、罰します。 しかしなお、サルデスの教会には、この世の汚れに染まっていない少数の人々がいます。その人々は白い衣を着て、わたしと共に歩みます。彼らには、その資格があるからです。 勝利を得る者はみな、白い衣をまといます。わたしは、その人の名をいのちの書から消し去らず、父と天使の前で、彼らはわたしのものであるとはっきり宣言します。 聞く耳のある人は、聖霊が諸教会に言われることに耳を傾けなさい。」』

フィラデルフィヤにある教会の指導者に、次のように書き送りなさい。『この手紙は、きよく真実な方、ダビデのかぎを持つ方からのものです。この方が、そのかぎで開くとだれも閉じることができず、閉じるとだれも開けることができません。 「わたしは、あなたをよく知っています。あなたは決して強くはありませんが、わたしの教えを守ろうと努力し、わたしの名を否定しませんでした。それで、あなたの前に、だれも閉じることのできない門を開いておきました。 よく見なさい。神の民だと自称しながら〔実はそうではなく〕悪魔に味方する者を、わたしはこのような目に会わせます。彼らをあなたの足もとにひれ伏させ、あなたに対するわたしの愛を明らかにします。 10 あなたは迫害にもめげず、じっと忍耐して、わたしの教えに従ってきました。それで、すべての人間を試すために全世界に襲いかかる苦しみと試練の時に、わたしはあなたを守ります。 11 見なさい。わたしはすぐに来ます。いま手にしているわずかなものを、しっかり握りしめていなさい。自分の冠をだれにも奪われないためです。 12 わたしは、勝利を得る者を、わたしの神の神殿の柱とします。そこは安全で、もはや追い出されたりしません。わたしはその人に、神の名を刻みます。そして、神の都、すなわち、天の神のもとから下って来る新しい都エルサレムの市民とします。こうして彼は、わたしの新しい名を刻まれるのです。 13 聞く耳のある人は、聖霊が諸教会に言われることに耳を傾けなさい。」』

14 ラオデキヤにある教会の指導者に、次のように書き送りなさい。『この手紙は、確固として立つ方、忠実で、過去、現在、未来にわたって存在する万物の真の証人である方、神に造られたものの根源である方からのものです。 15 「わたしは、あなたをよく知っています。あなたは冷たくもなく熱くもありません。むしろ、冷たいか熱いかの、どちらかであってほしいのです。 16 しかし、なまぬるいだけなので、わたしは口から吐き出します。 17 あなたは、『私は金持ちだ。ほしいものは何でも手に入るし、もうこれ以上望むものはない』とうそぶいています。しかし、そんなあなたは、ほんとうにあわれで、みじめで、貧しくて、盲目で、おまけに裸同然であることに気づいていないのです。 18 忠告しておきます。真に豊かな者になるために、火で精錬された純金をわたしから買いなさい。また、裸の恥をさらさないために、しみ一つない清潔な白い衣をわたしから買いなさい。また、見えるようになるために、わたしから目につける薬を買いなさい。 19 わたしは愛する者を絶えず訓練し、しかったり、懲らしめたりします。ですから、もし神に対して熱い心を持たなければ、わたしの罰を受けることになります。 20 見なさい。わたしは戸の外でたたいています。その呼びかけにこたえて戸を開ける人なら、わたしは中に入って、だれとでも親しく語り合います。そして、互いに楽しい時を過ごすのです。 21 勝利を得る者を、わたしと共に王座につかせましょう。ちょうど、わたしが勝利を得た時、父から、王座に共に座ることを許されたように。 22 聞く耳のある人は、聖霊が諸教会に言われることに耳を傾けなさい。」』」

To the Church in Sardis

“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) Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, 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.

Yet 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. The 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. Whoever has ears, let them hear(O) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

“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. I 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) I 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) 10 Since 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)

11 I am coming soon.(AE) Hold on to what you have,(AF) so that no one will take your crown.(AG) 12 The 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. 13 Whoever 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) 15 I know your deeds,(AQ) that you are neither cold nor hot.(AR) I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You 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) 18 I 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.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.(AX) So be earnest and repent.(AY) 20 Here 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.

21 To 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. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear(BF) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 3:1 Or messenger; also in verses 7 and 14
  2. Revelation 3:1 That is, the sevenfold Spirit

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

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

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.