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.

(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