Adam and Eve

⁴ This is the account^(G) of the heavens and the earth when they were created,^(H) when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

⁵ Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth^[a] and no plant had yet sprung up,^(I) for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth^(J) and there was no one to work the ground, ⁶ but streams^[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the Lord God formed^(K) a man^[c](L) from the dust^(M) of the ground^(N) and breathed into his nostrils the breath^(O) of life,^(P) and the man became a living being.^(Q)

⁸ Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden;^(R) and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees^(S) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life^(T) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.^(U)

¹⁰ A river^(V) watering the garden flowed from Eden;^(W) from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah,^(X) where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin^[d](Y) and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.^{[e] 14} The name of the third river is the Tigris;^(Z) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.^(AA)

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden^(AB) to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;^{(AC) 17} but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,^(AD) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”^(AE)

¹⁸ The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”^(AF)

¹⁹ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals^(AG) and all the birds in the sky.^(AH) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called^(AI) each living creature,^(AJ) that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam^[f] no suitable helper^(AK) was found. ²¹ So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;^(AL) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs^[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib^[h](AM) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

²³ The man said,

²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united^(AQ) to his wife, and they become one flesh.^(AR)

²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked,^(AS) and they felt no shame.

Divorce^(A)

10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.^(B) Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.^(C)

² Some Pharisees^(D) came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

³ “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”^(E)

⁵ “It was because your hearts were hard^(F) that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’^{[a](G) 7} ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,^{[b] 8} and the two will become one flesh.’^[c](H) So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.^{(I) 12} And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”^(J)

The Little Children and Jesus^(K)

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.^{(L) 15} Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”^{(M) 16} And he took the children in his arms,^(N) placed his hands on them and blessed them.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a](A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,^(B) and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City,^(C) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,^(D) prepared as a bride^(E) beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.^(F) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.^{(G) 4} ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.^(H) There will be no more death’^[b](I) or mourning or crying or pain,^(J) for the old order of things has passed away.”^(K)

⁵ He who was seated on the throne^(L) said, “I am making everything new!”^(M) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”^(N)

⁶ He said to me: “It is done.^(O) I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(P) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost^(Q) from the spring of the water of life.^{(R) 7} Those who are victorious^(S) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.^{(T) 8} But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars^(U)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.^(V) This is the second death.”^(W)

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues^(X) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,^(Y) the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away^(Z) in the Spirit^(AA) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.^{(AB) 11} It shone with the glory of God,^(AC) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,^(AD) clear as crystal.^{(AE) 12} It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,^(AF) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(AG) 13} There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations,^(AH) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles^(AI) of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod^(AJ) of gold to measure the city, its gates^(AK) and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia^[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall using human^(AL) measurement, and it was 144 cubits^[d] thick.^[e]