Revelation 3:3

Revelation 3:3

(KJV) 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.

(1611 KJV) Remember therefore, how thou hast receiued and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thiefe, and thou shalt not know what houre I will come vpon thee.

(1587 Geneva Bible) Remember therefore, how thou hast receiued and heard, & hold fast & repent. If therefore thou wilt not watch, I will come on thee as a thiefe, and thou shalt not know what houre I wil come vpo thee.

(1568 Bishops Bible) Remember therfore howe thou hast receaued and heard, and holde fast, and repent. If thou shalt not watche, I wyll come on thee as a thiefe, and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wyll come vpon thee.

(1539 Great Bible) Remember therfore, how thou hast receaued & heard, & hold faste, & repent. If thou shalt not watche, I wyll come on the as a thefe, & thou shalt not know what houre I wyll come vpon the.

(1535 Coverdale Bible) Remember therfore how thou hast receaued and hearde, and holde fast, and repent. Yf thou shalt not watche, I wil come on the as a thefe, and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wil come vpon ye

(1526 Tyndale) Remember therfore how thou hast receaved and hearde and hold faste and repet. Yf thou shalt not watche I will come on ye as a thefe and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wyll come apon the

Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
(1901 ASV) Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
(AMP) So remember and take to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keep and obey them, and repent [change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin]. So then, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
(CEB) So remember what you received and heard. Hold on to it and change your hearts and lives. If you don’t wake up, I will come like a thief, and you won’t know what time I will come upon you.
(CEV) Remember the teaching that you were given and that you heard. Hold firmly to it and turn from your sins. If you don’t wake up, I will come when you least expect it, just as a thief does.
(CSB) Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.
(ESV) Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
(GNB) Remember, then, what you were taught and what you heard; obey it and turn from your sins. If you do not wake up, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not even know the time when I will come.
(HCSB) Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you.
(ISV) So remember what you received and heard. Obey it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you won’t know the time when I will come to you.
(LEB) Therefore remember how you have received and heard, and observe it, and repent. If therefore you are not on the alert, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.
(NABRE) Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you.
(NASV) So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
(NCV) So do not forget what you have received and heard. Obey it, and change your hearts and lives. So you must wake up, or I will come like a thief, and you will not know when I will come to you.
(NET) Therefore, 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.
(NIRV) So remember what you have been taught and have heard. Hold firmly to it. Turn away from your sins. If you don’t wake up, I will come like a thief. You won’t know when I will come to you.
(NIV) Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
(NLV) So remember what you have received and heard. Keep it. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. If you will not wake up, I will come as a robber. You will not know at what time I will come.
(NRSV) Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
(RSV) Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.
(TLV) So remember what you have received and heard—keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Therefore, continue mindful of how you have received and how you heard, and go on keeping it, and repent. Certainly unless you wake up, I will come as a thief, and you will not know at all at what hour I will come upon you.

Textus Receptus – Traditional Text

μνημονευε ουν πως ειληφας και ηκουσας και τηρει και μετανοησον εαν ουν μη γρηγορησης ηξω επι σε ως κλεπτης και ου μη γνως ποιαν ωραν ηξω επι σε

Hort-Westcott – Critical Text

μνημονευε ουν πως ειληφας και ηκουσας και τηρει και μετανοησον εαν ουν μη γρηγορησης ηξω ως κλεπτης και ου μη γνως ποιαν ωραν ηξω επι σε

Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
P 025 - Ninth century
1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Stephanus (1550 A.D.)
Elziver (1624-1633)

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omit “on thee” before “as a thief’
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
Nestle-Aland - 2012 - Twenty Eighth Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902

Affected Teaching

Christ is now commanding them to remember not the fact that they heard but how they received and heard. They received the truth in much hardship and persecution. They also received the Gospel through faith. The Lord is telling them to hold fast to the things they had when they first became a church. Christ is commanding them to repent and abide in those things which make for a solid spiritual church. Worldly things in the church does not grow Christians in the faith. If this church refuses to remain vigilant in those things which still remain, then the Lord is going to come upon them as a thief and when a thief comes, you do not know what hour he comes. There are two scenarios in view in the second half of this verse. The first one is that if they do not repent, the Lord will come swiftly and uncompromisingly upon this church and remove them from being a living church among the congregations of the Lord. The second scenario is that the return of the Lord at His second coming will be as a thief in the night. It will come upon all churches and if they are not found faithful, will suffer the consequences of the unsaved world. The Lord is specifically telling this to the church at Sardis making it a personal warning instead of the generic warning the modern versions give by omitting “on thee.”

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