Book of Common Prayer

What More Shall I Say?

³² And what more may I say? For time will fail me while telling about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, both David and Samuel, and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, worked righteousness^[a], obtained^[b] promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edges of the sword, were strengthened from weakness, became mighty in battle, put-to-flight armies of foreigners. ³⁵ Women received their dead by resurrection— but others were tortured, not accepting redemption^[c], in order that they might obtain a better resurrection. ³⁶ And others received a trial of mockings and whippings, and furthermore of bonds and prison. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn-in-two, they died by murder of the sword. They went-around in sheepskins, in skins of-goats, being in-need, being afflicted, being mistreated— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy— wandering in desolate-places and mountains and caves and openings of the earth.

They Did Not Receive The Promise, For God Had a Better Promise For Us

³⁹ And these all, having been attested through their faith, did not receive the promise— ⁴⁰ God having provided^[d] something better for us, in order that they should not be perfected^[e] apart from us.

So Run Your Race With Endurance, Looking To Jesus

12 So-therefore we also^[f], having so large a cloud of witnesses^[g] surrounding us, having laid-aside every weight^[h] and the easily-entangling^[i] sin, let us be running the race being set-before us with endurance ² while looking-away toward the author and perfecter^[j] of the faith^[k]— Jesus— Who endured a cross for^[l] the joy being set-before Him, having disregarded^[m] the shame^[n], and has sat-down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Vision 7: The New Heaven And New Earth And New Jerusalem

21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed-away. And there is no longer a sea^[a]. ² And I saw the holy city— the new Jerusalem— coming down out of heaven from God, having been prepared like a bride having been adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying “Behold— the dwelling^[b] of God is with mankind. And He will dwell with them. And they themselves will be His peoples^[c]. And God Himself with them will be their God. ⁴ And He will wipe-away every tear from their eyes^[d]. And there will no longer be death, nor will there be mourning nor crying nor pain any longer, because the first things passed away”.

²² And I did not see a temple in it, for its temple^[a] is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. ²³ And the city has no need of the sun nor the moon, in order that they might shine on it. For the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ And the nations will walk by its light. And the kings of the earth bring their glory into it. ²⁵ And its gates will never be shut by day^[b]— for night will not exist there. ²⁶ And they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. ²⁷ And every defiled thing, and the one doing abomination and falsehood, will never enter into it, but only the ones having been written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The River of Life Flowing From The Throne of God

22 And he showed^[c] me a river of the water of life, shining^[d] like crystal, proceeding out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, ² in the middle of its wide-road. And on this side and on that side of the river is a tree of life producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit^[e] every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the service^[f] of the nations. ³ And there will no longer be any accursed^[g] thing. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it. And His slaves will serve^[h] Him, ⁴ and see His face. And His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ And there will be no more night. And they do not have a need of the light of a lamp and the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give-light upon them. And they will reign forever and ever.