Revelation 21:1-22:5

Christian Standard Bible

The New Creation

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;^(A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,^(B) and the sea was no more.^{(C) 2} I also saw the holy city,^(D) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,^(E) prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.^(F)

³ Then I heard a loud voice^(G) from the throne:^[a](H) Look, God’s dwelling^[b] is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,^[c](I) and God himself will be with them and will be their God.^{[d] 4} He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.^(J) Death will be no more;^(K) grief, crying, and pain will be no more,^(L) because the previous things^[e] have passed away.^(M)

⁵ Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words^[f] are faithful and true.”^{(N) 6} Then he said to me, “It is done!^(O) I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(P) the beginning and the end.^(Q) I will freely give to the thirsty^(R) from the spring of the water of life.^{(S) 7} The one who conquers^(T) will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.^{(U) 8} But the cowards, faithless,^[g] detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars^(V)—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,^(W) which is the second death.”^(X)

The New Jerusalem

⁹ Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues,^(Y) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ He then carried me away in the Spirit^[h](Z) to a great, high mountain^(AA) and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, ¹¹ arrayed with God’s glory.^(AB) Her radiance was like a precious jewel, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. ¹² The city had a massive high wall, with twelve gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. ¹³ There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.^{(AC) 14} The city wall had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb were on the foundations.

¹⁵ The one who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod^(AD) to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.^{(AE) 16} The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia.^[i] Its length, width, and height are equal. ¹⁷ Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used. ¹⁸ The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold clear as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of jewel:^(AF) the first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ The twelve gates are twelve pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The main street^[j] of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

²² I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.^{(AG) 24} The nations will walk by its light,^(AH) and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.^{[k](AI) 25} Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.^{(AJ) 26} They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.^{[l](AK) 27} Nothing unclean will ever enter it,^(AL) nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.^(AM)

The Source of Life

22 Then he showed me the river^[m] of the water of life,^(AN) clear as crystal,^(AO) flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb^{(AP) 2} down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month.^(AQ) The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations,^{(AR) 3} and there will no longer be any curse.^(AS) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him. ⁴ They will see his face,^(AT) and his name will be on their foreheads.^{(AU) 5} Night will be no more;^(AV) people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light,^(AW) and they will reign forever and ever.