VI. The New Creation^[a]

Chapter 21

The New Heaven and the New Earth. ^1 (A)Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.^{[b] 2} I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,^[c] coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.^{(B) 3} I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.^(C) He will dwell with them and they will be his people^[d] and God himself will always be with them [as their God].^{[e] 4} He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.”^(D)

⁵ The one who sat on the throne^[f] said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.”^{(E) 6} He said to me, “They are accomplished.^[g] I [am] the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water.^{(F) 7} The victor^[h] will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son.^{(G) 8} But as for cowards,^[i] the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”^(H)

The New Jerusalem.^{[j] 9} One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”^{[k] 10} He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.^{(I) 11} It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal.^{(J) 12} It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, [the names] of the twelve tribes of the Israelites. ¹³ There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west.^{(K) 14} The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles^[l] of the Lamb.^(L)

^15 [m]The one who spoke to me held a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶ The city was square, its length the same as [also] its width. He measured the city with the rod and found it fifteen hundred miles^[n] in length and width and height. ¹⁷ He also measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits^[o] according to the standard unit of measurement the angel used. ^18 [p]The wall was constructed of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every precious stone; the first course of stones was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,^{(M) 20} the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl; and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.

^22 [q](N)I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb. ^23 [r]The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,^(O) for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light,^[s] and to it the kings of the earth will bring their treasure.^{(P) 25} During the day its gates will never be shut, and there will be no night there. ²⁶ The treasure and wealth of the nations will be brought there, ²⁷ but nothing unclean will enter it, nor any[one] who does abominable things or tells lies. Only those will enter whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.^(Q)