The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues(A) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,(B) the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away(C) in the Spirit(D) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.(E) 11 It shone with the glory of God,(F) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,(G) clear as crystal.(H) 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,(I) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.(J) 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,(K) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles(L) of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod(M) of gold to measure the city, its gates(N) 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[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human(O) measurement, and it was 144 cubits[b] thick.[c] 18 The wall was made of jasper,(P) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.(Q) 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.(R) The first foundation was jasper,(S) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,(T) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[d] 21 The twelve gates(U) were twelve pearls,(V) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.(W)

22 I did not see a temple(X) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty(Y) and the Lamb(Z) are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God(AA) gives it light,(AB) and the Lamb(AC) is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.(AD) 25 On no day will its gates(AE) ever be shut,(AF) for there will be no night there.(AG) 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.(AH) 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,(AI) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(AJ)

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:16 That is, about 1,400 miles or about 2,200 kilometers
  2. Revelation 21:17 That is, about 200 feet or about 65 meters
  3. Revelation 21:17 Or high
  4. Revelation 21:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.

The New Jerusalem

Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues,(A) 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[a](B) to a great, high mountain(C) and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 arrayed with God’s glory.(D) 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.(E) 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(F) to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.(G) 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.[b] 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:(H) 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[c] 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.(I) 24 The nations will walk by its light,(J) and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.[d](K) 25 Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.(L) 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.[e](M) 27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it,(N) nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. 21:10 Or in spirit
  2. 21:16 A stadion (sg) = about 600 feet; 12,000 stadia = 1,400 miles.
  3. 21:21 Or The public square
  4. 21:24 Other mss read will bring to him the nations’ glory and honor
  5. 21:26 Other mss add in order that they might go in