Revelation 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21:1 Then1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist,2 and the sea existed no more. 21:2 And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem – descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence3 of God is among human beings.4 He5 will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.6 21:4 He7 will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”8

21:5 And the one seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new!” Then9 he said to me, “Write it down,10 because these words are reliable11 and true.” 21:6 He also said to me, “It is done!12 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water13 free of charge14 from the spring of the water of life. 21:7 The one who conquers15 will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 21:8 But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells,16 idol worshipers,17 and all those who lie, their place18 will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.19 That20 is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem Descends

21:9 Then21 one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me,22 saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 21:10 So23 he took me away in the Spirit24 to a huge, majestic mountain25 and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 21:11 The city possesses26 the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.27 21:12 It has28 a massive, high wall29 with twelve gates,30 with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel31 are written on the gates.32 21:13 There are33 three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side and three gates on the west side.34 21:14 The35 wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21:15 The angel36 who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. 21:16 Now37 the city is laid out as a square,38 its length and width the same. He39 measured the city with the measuring rod40 at fourteen hundred miles41 (its length and width and height are equal). 21:17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits42 according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s.43 21:18 The city’s44 wall is made45 of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.46 21:19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated47 with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate,48 the fourth emerald, 21:20 the fifth onyx,49 the sixth carnelian,50 the seventh chrysolite,51 the eighth beryl,52 the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase,53 the eleventh jacinth,54 and the twelfth amethyst. 21:21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls – each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The55 main street56 of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

21:22 Now57 I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful58 – and the Lamb are its temple. 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 21:24 The nations59 will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur60 into it. 21:25 Its gates will never be closed during the day61 (and62 there will be no night there).63 21:26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth64 of the nations65 into it, 21:27 but66 nothing ritually unclean67 will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable68 or practices falsehood,69 but only those whose names70 are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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