(A)Then one of the seven angels who had the (B)seven bowls, [a]full of the (C)seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “(D)Come here, I will show you the (E)bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

The New Jerusalem

10 And (F)he carried me away [b](G)in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me (H)the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having (I)the glory of God. Her [c]brilliance was like a very valuable stone, like a (J)stone of (K)crystal-clear jasper. 12 [d]It had a great and high wall, [e](L)with twelve (M)gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on the gates, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had (N)twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the (O)twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The one who spoke with me had a [f]gold measuring (P)rod to measure the city, its (Q)gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the [g]rod, [h]twelve thousand stadia; its length, width, and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, [i]144 cubits, by (R)human [j]measurements, which are also (S)angelic measurements. 18 The material of the wall was (T)jasper; and the city was (U)pure gold, like [k]clear (V)glass. 19 (W)The foundation stones of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was (X)jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, (Y)emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, (Z)sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve (AA)gates were twelve (AB)pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was (AC)pure gold, like transparent (AD)glass.

22 I saw (AE)no [l]temple in it, for the (AF)Lord God the Almighty and the (AG)Lamb are its [m]temple. 23 And the city (AH)has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for (AI)the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the (AJ)Lamb. 24 (AK)The nations will walk by its light, and the (AL)kings of the earth [n]will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for (AM)there will be no night there) (AN)its gates (AO)will never be closed; 26 and (AP)they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and (AQ)nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those [o]whose names are (AR)written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:9 Lit who were full; i.e., (previously) loaded with
  2. Revelation 21:10 Or in spirit
  3. Revelation 21:11 Or radiance
  4. Revelation 21:12 Lit having
  5. Revelation 21:12 Lit having
  6. Revelation 21:15 Lit measure, a gold reed
  7. Revelation 21:16 Lit reed
  8. Revelation 21:16 Possibly about 1,380 miles or 2,220 km; a Roman stadion perhaps averaged 607 ft. or 185 m
  9. Revelation 21:17 Possibly about 216 ft. or 65 m; a cubit is about 18 in. or 45 cm
  10. Revelation 21:17 Lit measure
  11. Revelation 21:18 Lit pure
  12. Revelation 21:22 Or sanctuary
  13. Revelation 21:22 Or sanctuary
  14. Revelation 21:24 Lit bring
  15. Revelation 21:27 Lit who have been written

A Description of the New Jerusalem

And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and lofty mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 that has the glory of God. Its radiance is like a precious stone, something like a jasper stone, shining like crystal. 12 It has[a] a great and high wall that has twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on the gates which are[b] of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel— 13 on the east, three gates, and on the north, three gates, and on the south, three gates, and on the west, three gates. 14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me was holding a golden measuring rod in order that he could measure the city and its gates and its wall. 16 And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is the same as its width. And he measured the city with the measuring rod at twelve thousand stadia;[c] the length and the width and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits[d] according to human measure[e], which is the angel’s. 18 And the material of its wall is jasper, and the city is pure gold, similar in appearance to pure glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every kind of precious stone: the first foundation 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 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each one of the gates was from a single pearl. And the street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 And I did not see a temple in it, for the Lord God All-Powerful is its temple, and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon, that they shine on it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 And its gates will never be shut by day (for there will be no night there), 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 And every unclean thing and one who practices[f] detestable things and falsehood will never enter into it, except those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:12 Literally “having,” referring back to the city mentioned in v. 11
  2. Revelation 21:12 Some manuscripts have “which are the names”
  3. Revelation 21:16 Or “two thousand two hundred kilometers”; or “fourteen hundred miles” (a stade was a unit of length about 185 meters or 607 feet)
  4. Revelation 21:17 This number in cubits amounts to 12 times 12; it would be about 65 meters (216 feet)
  5. Revelation 21:17 Literally “according to the measure of a man”
  6. Revelation 21:27 Some manuscripts have “and the one who practices”