The River and the Tree of Life

22 And ^(A)he showed me a ^(B)river of the ^(C)water of life, ^[a]clear ^(D)as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of ^[b]the Lamb, ² in the middle of ^(E)its street. ^(F)On either side of the river was ^(G)the tree of life, bearing twelve ^[c]kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ^3 (H)There will no longer be any curse; and ^(I)the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will ^(J)serve Him; ⁴ they will ^(K)see His face, and His ^(L)name will be on their ^(M)foreheads. ⁵ And ^(N)there will no longer be any night; and they ^[d]will not have need ^(O)of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will ^(P)reign forever and ever.

⁸ but we are of good courage and ^(A)prefer rather to be absent from the body and ^(B)to be at home with the Lord.

^13 (A)All these died in faith, ^(B)without receiving the promises, but ^(C)having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and ^(D)having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been ^[a]thinking of that country which they left, ^(E)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a ^(F)heavenly one. Therefore ^(G)God is not ^[b]ashamed to be ^(H)called their God; for ^(I)He has prepared a city for them.