⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^(A)

²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.^(A)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(A) the new creation^(B) has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!^(C)

²⁰ But our citizenship^(A) is in heaven.^(B) And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,^(C)

¹⁰ and have put on the new self,^(A) which is being renewed^(B) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.^(C)

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends,^(A) this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders^(B) to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. ² I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets^(C) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.^(D)

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days^(E) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.^{(F) 4} They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(G) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^{(H) 5} But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word^(I) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.^{(J) 6} By these waters also the world of that time^(K) was deluged and destroyed.^{(L) 7} By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,^(M) being kept for the day of judgment^(N) and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.^{(O) 9} The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,^(P) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient^(Q) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.^(R)

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.^(S) The heavens will disappear with a roar;^(T) the elements will be destroyed by fire,^(U) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a](V)

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward^(W) to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b](X) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.^{(Y) 13} But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,^(Z) where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless^(AA) and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(AB) means salvation,^(AC) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^{(AD) 16} He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable^(AE) people distort,^(AF) as they do the other Scriptures,^(AG) to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard^(AH) so that you may not be carried away by the error^(AI) of the lawless^(AJ) and fall from your secure position.^{(AK) 18} But grow in the grace^(AL) and knowledge^(AM) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(AN) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.^(AO)

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] 18} The wall was made of jasper,^(AM) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.^{(AN) 19} The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.^(AO) The first foundation was jasper,^(AP) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,^(AQ) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^{[f] 21} The twelve gates^(AR) were twelve pearls,^(AS) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.^(AT)

²² I did not see a temple^(AU) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty^(AV) and the Lamb^(AW) are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God^(AX) gives it light,^(AY) and the Lamb^(AZ) is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.^{(BA) 25} On no day will its gates^(BB) ever be shut,^(BC) for there will be no night there.^{(BD) 26} The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.^{(BE) 27} Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,^(BF) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.^(BG)

Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river^(BH) of the water of life,^(BI) as clear as crystal,^(BJ) flowing^(BK) 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,^(BL) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.^{(BM) 3} No longer will there be any curse.^(BN) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.^{(BO) 4} They will see his face,^(BP) and his name will be on their foreheads.^{(BQ) 5} There will be no more night.^(BR) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.^(BS) And they will reign for ever and ever.^(BT)

John and the Angel

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

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

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.^(CB) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet^(CC) 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.^(CD) Worship God!”^(CE)

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up^(CF) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,^(CG) because the time is near.^{(CH) 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.”^(CI)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(CJ) My reward is with me,^(CK) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(CL) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(CM) the First and the Last,^(CN) the Beginning and the End.^(CO)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes,^(CP) that they may have the right to the tree of life^(CQ) and may go through the gates^(CR) into the city.^{(CS) 15} Outside^(CT) are the dogs,^(CU) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus,^(CV) have sent my angel^(CW) to give you^[g] this testimony for the churches.^(CX) I am the Root^(CY) and the Offspring of David,^(CZ) and the bright Morning Star.”^(DA)

¹⁷ The Spirit^(DB) and the bride^(DC) 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.^(DD)

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

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

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.^(DM)

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