Revelation 21:10-22:6

New International Reader's Version

¹⁰ Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal. ¹² The city had a huge, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, one at each of them. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. ¹³ There were three gates on the east and three on the north. There were three gates on the south and three on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had 12 foundations. Written on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring rod. He used it to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with the rod. It was 1,400 miles long. It was as wide and high as it was long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall as human beings measure things. It was 200 feet thick. ¹⁸ The wall was made out of jasper. The city was made out of pure gold, as pure as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was made out of jasper. The second was made out of sapphire. The third was made out of agate. The fourth was made out of emerald. ²⁰ The fifth was made out of onyx. The sixth was made out of ruby. The seventh was made out of chrysolite. The eighth was made out of beryl. The ninth was made out of topaz. The tenth was made out of turquoise. The eleventh was made out of jacinth. The twelfth was made out of amethyst. ²¹ The 12 gates were made from 12 pearls. Each gate was made out of a single pearl. The main street of the city was made out of gold. It was gold as pure as glass that people can see through clearly.

²² I didn’t see a temple in the city. That’s because the Lamb and the Lord God who rules over all are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it. God’s glory is its light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by the light of the city. The kings of the world will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Its gates will never be shut, because there will be no night there. ²⁶ The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷ Only what is pure will enter the city. No one who causes people to believe lies will enter it. No one who does shameful things will enter it either. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the city.

The Earth Is Made Like New Again

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was as clear as crystal. It flowed from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² It flowed down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing 12 crops of fruit. Its fruit was ripe every month. The leaves of the tree bring healing to the nations. ³ There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. God’s servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face. His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun. The Lord God will give them light. They will rule for ever and ever.

John and the Angel

⁶ The angel said to me, “You can trust these words. They are true. The Lord is the God who gives messages to the prophets. He sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”