“ Here is what I command you to write to the church in Sardis. Here are the words of Jesus, who holds the seven spirits of God. He has the seven stars in his hand. He says,‘ I know what you are doing. People think you are alive, but you are dead.

“你要写信给撒狄教会的使者，说：‘那有神的七灵和七星的，说：我知道你的行为，按名你是活的，其实是死的。

“你要写信给撒狄教会的使者，说：‘那有上帝的七灵和七颗星的这样说：我知道你的行为，就是名义上你是活的，实际上你是死的。

“你要写信给撒狄教会的使者，说：‘那有神的七灵和七颗星的这样说：我知道你的行为，就是名义上你是活的，实际上你是死的。

“你要写信告诉撒狄教会的天使，有上帝的七灵又有七颗星的主说，‘我知道你的行为，你名义上活着，实际上是死的。

“你要写信给在撒狄教会的使者，说：‘那有神七灵和七星的这样说：我知道你的行为，你有名声，说你是活着的，其实你是死的。

“你要给那在萨迪斯教会的使者写信说：“那位有神的七个灵和七颗星的，这样说：我知道你的行为，你名义上是活的，其实你是死的。

「你要寫信給撒狄教會的使者，說：『那有神的七靈和七星的，說：我知道你的行為，按名你是活的，其實是死的。

「你要寫信給撒狄教會的使者，說：『那有上帝的七靈和七顆星的這樣說：我知道你的行為，就是名義上你是活的，實際上你是死的。

「你要寫信給撒狄教會的使者，說：『那有神的七靈和七顆星的這樣說：我知道你的行為，就是名義上你是活的，實際上你是死的。

「你要寫信告訴撒狄教會的天使，有上帝的七靈又有七顆星的主說，『我知道你的行為，你名義上活著，實際上是死的。

“你要寫信給在撒狄教會的使者，說：‘那有神七靈和七星的這樣說：我知道你的行為，你有名聲，說你是活著的，其實你是死的。

『你要寫信給在撒狄教會的使者說：『「那擁有着上帝之七靈和七星的這麼說：我知道你的行為：你名雖是活着，其實乃是死的。

「你要給那在薩迪斯教會的使者寫信說：「那位有神的七個靈和七顆星的，這樣說：我知道你的行為，你名義上是活的，其實你是死的。

當書達撒狄會之使者云、有上帝之七神、及七星者、曰、我知爾諸行、名生而實死、

爾當書達撒狄會使者、曰、主有上帝七神、執七星、言曰、吾知爾所為、名生實死、

爾當書達撒狄教會使者、曰、有天主七神、又執七星者、如是云、我知爾之作為、名為生、實則死、

爾其寓書於撒爾底教會之守護天神曰：彼具有天主之七神與七星者、有所曉諭於爾：吾知爾之行實；爾雖生實死、

“ To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

“ And to the angel of the church in Sardis write:‘ The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.“‘ I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

“ 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.

“ Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.

“ To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, says this:‘ I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are dead.

“ And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,‘ These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:“ I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

And to 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 thou art dead.

“ 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.

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.

“ 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.

“ And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write:“ He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars says these things:“ I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

But a widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she is still living.

I, John, am writing this letter. I am sending it to the seven churches in Asia Minor. May grace and peace come to you from God. He is the one who is, and who was, and who will come. May grace and peace come to you from the seven spirits. These spirits are in front of God’s throne.

A person’s body without their spirit is dead. In the same way, faith without good deeds is dead.

‘ I know what you are doing. I know your love and your faith. I know how well you have served. I know you don’t give up easily. In fact, you are doing more now than you did at first.

At one time you were dead in your sins. Your desires controlled by sin were not circumcised. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.

These ungodly people are like stains at the meals you share. They have no shame. They are shepherds who feed only themselves. They are like clouds without rain. They are blown along by the wind. They are like trees in the fall. Since they have no fruit, they are pulled out of the ground. So they die twice.

So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you.

But we had to celebrate and be glad. This brother of yours was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.’ ”

This son of mine was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

He held seven stars in his right hand. Coming out of his mouth was a sharp sword with two edges. His face was like the sun shining in all its brightness.

You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead.

‘ I know that you live where Satan has his throne. But you remain faithful to me. You did not give up your faith in me. You didn’t give it up even in the days of Antipas. Antipas, my faithful witness, was put to death in your city, where Satan lives.

From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and thunder. Seven lamps were blazing in front of the throne. These stand for the seven spirits of God.

The voice said,“ Write on a scroll what you see. Send it to the seven churches in Asia Minor. They are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if he had been put to death. He stood at the center of the area around the throne. The Lamb was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes. The eyes stand for the seven spirits of God, which are sent out into all the earth.

The one whom God has sent speaks God’s words. That’s because God gives the Holy Spirit without limit.

Here is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand. They are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven golden lampstands you saw stand for the seven churches.“ Here is what I command you to write to the church in Ephesus. Here are the words of Jesus, who holds the seven stars in his right hand. He also walks among the seven golden lampstands. He says,‘ I know what you are doing. You work long and hard. I know you can’t put up with evil people. You have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not. You have found out that they are liars.

God is full of grace. From him we have all received grace in place of the grace already given.

I myself did not know him. But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,‘ You will see the Spirit come down and remain on someone. He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

He then breathed on them. He said,“ Receive the Holy Spirit.

They wanted to find out when and how this salvation would come. The Spirit of Christ in them was telling them about the sufferings of the Messiah. These were his sufferings that were going to come. The Spirit of Christ was also telling them about the glory that would follow.

It was the last and most important day of the feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said,“ Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.Does anyone believe in me? Then, just as Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from inside them.”When he said this, he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory.

Jesus has been given a place of honor at the right hand of God. He has received the Holy Spirit from the Father. This is what God had promised. It is Jesus who has poured out what you now see and hear.

‘ I know that you suffer and are poor. But you are rich! Some people say they are Jews but are not. I know that their words are evil. Their worship comes from Satan.

“ I will send the Friend to you from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth, who comes out from the Father. When the Friend comes to help you, he will be a witness about me.You must also be witnesses about me. That’s because you have been with me from the beginning.