Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.^(A) You believe^(B) in God^[a];^(C) believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there^(D) to prepare a place for you?

Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

2 When the Lord was about to take^(A) Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,^(B) Elijah and Elisha^(C) were on their way from Gilgal.^{(D) 2} Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here;^(E) the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”^(F) So they went down to Bethel.

³ The company^(G) of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

⁴ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.^(H)”

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

⁵ The company^(I) of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here;^(J) the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.”^(K)

And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”^(L) So the two of them walked on.

⁷ Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his cloak,^(M) rolled it up and struck^(N) the water with it. The water divided^(O) to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry^(P) ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double^(Q) portion of your spirit,”^(R) Elisha replied.

¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire^(S) and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven^(T) in a whirlwind.^{(U) 12} Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots^(V) and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore^(W) it in two.

¹³ Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the cloak^(X) that had fallen from Elijah and struck^(Y) the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

¹⁵ The company^(Z) of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit^(AA) of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. ¹⁶ “Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit^(AB) of the Lord has picked him up^(AC) and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”

“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”

¹⁷ But they persisted until he was too embarrassed^(AD) to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. ¹⁸ When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne^(A) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(B) and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(C) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(D) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(E) The dead were judged^(F) according to what they had done^(G) as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(H) gave up the dead^(I) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^{(J) 14} Then death^(K) and Hades^(L) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(M) The lake of fire is the second death.^{(N) 15} Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(O) was thrown into the lake of fire.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a](P) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,^(Q) and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City,^(R) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,^(S) prepared as a bride^(T) 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.^(U) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.^{(V) 4} ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.^(W) There will be no more death’^[b](X) or mourning or crying or pain,^(Y) for the old order of things has passed away.”^(Z)

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

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

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^(AM) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,^(AN) the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away^(AO) in the Spirit^(AP) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.^{(AQ) 11} It shone with the glory of God,^(AR) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,^(AS) clear as crystal.^{(AT) 12} It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,^(AU) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(AV) 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,^(AW) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles^(AX) of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod^(AY) of gold to measure the city, its gates^(AZ) 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^(BA) measurement, and it was 144 cubits^[d] thick.^{[e] 18} The wall was made of jasper,^(BB) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.^{(BC) 19} The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.^(BD) The first foundation was jasper,^(BE) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,^(BF) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^{[f] 21} The twelve gates^(BG) were twelve pearls,^(BH) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.^(BI)

²² I did not see a temple^(BJ) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty^(BK) and the Lamb^(BL) are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God^(BM) gives it light,^(BN) and the Lamb^(BO) is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.^{(BP) 25} On no day will its gates^(BQ) ever be shut,^(BR) for there will be no night there.^{(BS) 26} The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.^{(BT) 27} Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,^(BU) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.^(BV)

Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river^(BW) of the water of life,^(BX) as clear as crystal,^(BY) flowing^(BZ) from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,^(CA) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.^{(CB) 3} No longer will there be any curse.^(CC) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.^{(CD) 4} They will see his face,^(CE) and his name will be on their foreheads.^{(CF) 5} There will be no more night.^(CG) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.^(CH) And they will reign for ever and ever.^(CI)

John and the Angel

⁶ The angel said to me,^(CJ) “These words are trustworthy and true.^(CK) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,^(CL) sent his angel^(CM) to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon!^(CN) Blessed^(CO) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”^(CP)

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.^(CQ) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet^(CR) of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.^(CS) Worship God!”^(CT)

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up^(CU) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,^(CV) because the time is near.^{(CW) 11} Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”^(CX)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(CY) My reward is with me,^(CZ) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(DA) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(DB) the First and the Last,^(DC) the Beginning and the End.^(DD)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes,^(DE) that they may have the right to the tree of life^(DF) and may go through the gates^(DG) into the city.^{(DH) 15} Outside^(DI) are the dogs,^(DJ) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus,^(DK) have sent my angel^(DL) to give you^[g] this testimony for the churches.^(DM) I am the Root^(DN) and the Offspring of David,^(DO) and the bright Morning Star.”^(DP)

¹⁷ The Spirit^(DQ) and the bride^(DR) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.^(DS)

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:^(DT) If anyone adds anything to them,^(DU) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.^{(DV) 19} And if anyone takes words away^(DW) from this scroll of prophecy,^(DX) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life^(DY) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things^(DZ) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”^(EA)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.^(EB)

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.^(EC) Amen.