Book of Common Prayer

⁹ Then one of the seven angels who carried the seven bowls full of the last troubles came and talked to me. He said, `Come, I will show you the young woman who is the wife of the Lamb.'

¹⁰ The angel took me away in the Spirit to a very big hill. He showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God.

¹¹ The light of God was shining from it. It was bright like a very fine stone called jasper. It was as clear as glass.

¹² The city had a wall that was big and high. It had twelve doors. At the doors were twelve angels. Names were written on the doors. They are the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel.

¹³ There were three doors on the east side. There were three doors on the north side. There were three doors on the south side and three doors on the west side.

¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones. On them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked to me had a gold stick to measure the city, its doors, and its walls.

¹⁶ The city is square. It is as long as it is wide. The angel measured the city with his stick and it was about fifteen hundred miles. It is as long as it is wide and as high as it is long.

¹⁷ Then he measured its wall. It was two hundred and sixteen feet by the way a man measures. That is the way the angel measured.

¹⁸ The wall of the city was made of a very fine stone called jasper. The city was all made of pure gold. It was clear like glass.

¹⁹ The bottom of the city wall was covered with all kinds of fine stones. The first stone was red jasper. The second stone was blue sapphire. The third stone was of many colours called agate. The fourth stone was green emerald.

²⁰ The fifth stone was onyx. The sixth stone was red carnelian. The seventh stone was green crysolite. The eighth stone was green beryl. The ninth stone was yellow topaz. The tenth stone was green chrysoprase. The eleventh stone was red jacinth. And the twelfth stone was a blue amethyst.

²¹ The twelve doors were twelve pearls. Each door was made from one big pearl. The street of the city was all pure gold. It was as clear as glass.

²⁶ Elizabeth was now in her sixth month. God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee.

²⁷ The angel was sent to a young woman there. Her name was Mary. She was promised to a man named Joseph, to be his wife. He was of David's family line.

²⁸ The angel went into the house and said to her, `Be happy! God has blessed you more than other women. The Lord is with you!'

²⁹ What the angel said troubled Mary. She wondered what this greeting meant.

³⁰ The angel said to her, `Do not be afraid, Mary. God has blessed you.

³¹ You will have a baby son. Name him Jesus.

³² He will be a great man. He will be called the Son of the Highest One [a name for God]. The Lord God will make him king where his father David was king.

³³ He will be king over the people of Israel for ever. He will never stop being king.'

³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, `How can this happen? I have no husband.'

³⁵ The angel answered, `The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Highest One will be over you. That is why the holy child who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

³⁶ `Your cousin Elizabeth is also going to have a baby son, though she is an old woman. This is the sixth month for her. She is one whom people said would not have a baby.

³⁷ But God can do anything.'

³⁸ Mary said, `I am the Lord's servant. Let it be as you have said.' Then the angel left her.