The Vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. 2I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

3I heard a loud voice from the throne say,

“See, the tent of God is among humans!

He will make his home with them,

and they will be his people.

God himself will be with them,

and he will be their God.a

4He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There won’t be death anymore.

There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain,

because the first things have disappeared.”

5The one sitting on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new!”

He said, “Write this: ‘These words are trustworthy and true.’”

6Then he told me, “It has happened! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give a drink from the spring of the water of life to the one who is thirsty. 7The person who conquers will inherit these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8But people who are cowardly, unfaithful, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselvesb in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

The Vision of the New Jerusalem

9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” 10He carried me away in the Spirit to a large, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. 11The glory of God was its radiance, and its light was like a valuable gem, like jasper, as clear as crystal. 12It had a large, high wall with twelve gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb were written on them.

15The angel whoc was talking to me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. 16The city was cubic in shape: its length was the same as its width. He measured the city with his rod, and it measured at 12,000 stadia:d Its length, width, and height were the same. 17He also measured its wall. According to the human measurement that the angel was using, it was 144 cubits.e 18Its wall was made of jasper. The city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.

19The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundationf was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian,g the seventh chrysolite,h the eighth beryl,i the ninth topaz,j the tenth chrysoprase,k the eleventh jacinthl and the twelfth amethyst. 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each gate was made of a single pearl. The street of the city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.

22I saw no temple in it, because the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. 23The city doesn’t need any sun or moon to give it light, because the glory of God gave it light, and the lamb was its lamp. 24The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25Its gates will never be shut at the end of them day—because there will be no night there. 26Peoplen will bring the glory and wealtho of the nations into it. 27Nothing unclean, or anyone who does anything detestable, and no one who tells lies will ever enter it. Only those whose namesp are written in the lamb’s Book of Life will enter it.q