The New Jerusalem(A)

Then one of (B)the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came [a]to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you (C)the [b]bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away (D)in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me (E)the [c]great city, the [d]holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 (F)having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with (G)twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 (H)three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and (I)on them were the [e]names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me (J)had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand [f]furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 (K)The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve (L)pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. (M)And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

The Glory of the New Jerusalem

22 (N)But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 (O)The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine [g]in it, for the [h]glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 (P)And the nations [i]of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor [j]into it. 25 (Q)Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (R)(there shall be no night there). 26 (S)And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into [k]it. 27 But (T)there shall by no means enter it anything [l]that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s (U)Book of Life.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:9 NU, M omit to me
  2. Revelation 21:9 M woman, the Lamb’s bride
  3. Revelation 21:10 NU, M omit great
  4. Revelation 21:10 NU, M holy city, Jerusalem
  5. Revelation 21:14 NU, M twelve names
  6. Revelation 21:16 Lit. stadia, about 1,380 miles in all
  7. Revelation 21:23 NU, M omit in it
  8. Revelation 21:23 M very glory
  9. Revelation 21:24 NU, M omit of those who are saved
  10. Revelation 21:24 M of the nations to Him
  11. Revelation 21:26 M adds that they may enter in.
  12. Revelation 21:27 NU, M profane, nor one who causes

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”