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)

Psalm 36^[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

25 When people have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges^(A) will decide the case,^(B) acquitting^(C) the innocent and condemning the guilty.^{(D) 2} If the guilty person deserves to be beaten,^(E) the judge shall make them lie down and have them flogged in his presence with the number of lashes the crime deserves, ³ but the judge must not impose more than forty lashes.^(F) If the guilty party is flogged more than that, your fellow Israelite will be degraded in your eyes.^(G)

⁴ Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.^(H)

⁵ If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.^{(I) 6} The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.^(J)

⁷ However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife,^(K) she shall go to the elders at the town gate^(L) and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.”^{(M) 8} Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” ⁹ his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals,^(N) spit in his face^(O) and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” ¹⁰ That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

¹¹ If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, ¹² you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity.^(P)

¹³ Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light.^{(Q) 14} Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. ¹⁵ You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long^(R) in the land the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁶ For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.^(S)

¹⁷ Remember what the Amalekites^(T) did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. ¹⁸ When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God.^{(U) 19} When the Lord your God gives you rest^(V) from all the enemies^(W) around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek^(X) from under heaven. Do not forget!

Firstfruits and Tithes

26 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, ² take some of the firstfruits^(Y) of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name^{(Z) 3} and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” ⁴ The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. ⁵ Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering^(AA) Aramean,^(AB) and he went down into Egypt with a few people^(AC) and lived there and became a great nation,^(AD) powerful and numerous. ⁶ But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer,^(AE) subjecting us to harsh labor.^{(AF) 7} Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice^(AG) and saw^(AH) our misery,^(AI) toil and oppression.^{(AJ) 8} So the Lord brought us out of Egypt^(AK) with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,^(AL) with great terror and with signs and wonders.^{(AM) 9} He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;^{(AN) 10} and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.^(AO)” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. ¹¹ Then you and the Levites^(AP) and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice^(AQ) in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

¹² When you have finished setting aside a tenth^(AR) of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe,^(AS) you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. ¹³ Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.^{(AT) 14} I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean,^(AU) nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. ¹⁵ Look down from heaven,^(AV) your holy dwelling place, and bless^(AW) your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Follow the Lord’s Commands

¹⁶ The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.^{(AX) 17} You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him.^{(AY) 18} And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession^(AZ) as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. ¹⁹ He has declared that he will set you in praise,^(BA) fame and honor high above all the nations^(BB) he has made and that you will be a people holy^(BC) to the Lord your God, as he promised.

The Altar on Mount Ebal

27 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands^(BD) that I give you today. ² When you have crossed the Jordan^(BE) into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones^(BF) and coat them with plaster.^{(BG) 3} Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(BH) just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. ⁴ And when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal,^(BI) as I command you today, and coat them with plaster. ⁵ Build there an altar^(BJ) to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool^(BK) on them. ⁶ Build the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. ⁷ Sacrifice fellowship offerings^(BL) there, eating them and rejoicing^(BM) in the presence of the Lord your God.^{(BN) 8} And you shall write very clearly all the words of this law on these stones^(BO) you have set up.”^(BP)

Curses From Mount Ebal

⁹ Then Moses and the Levitical^(BQ) priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God.^{(BR) 10} Obey the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you today.”

¹¹ On the same day Moses commanded the people:

¹² When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim^(BS) to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,^(BT) Joseph and Benjamin.^{(BU) 13} And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal^(BV) to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.

¹⁴ The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice: