Old/New Testament
The Lord Makes Israel Pure and “Clean”
13 “At that time a fountain will be opened for the benefit of David’s family line. It will also bless the others who live in Jerusalem. It will wash away their sins. It will make them pure and ‘clean.’
2 “On that day I will remove the names of other gods from the land. They will not even be remembered anymore,” announces the Lord who rules over all. “I will drive the evil prophets out of the land. I will get rid of the spirit that put lies in their mouths. 3 Some people might still prophesy. But their own fathers and mothers will speak to them. They will tell them, ‘You must die. You have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ When they prophesy, their own parents will stab them.
4 “At that time every prophet will be ashamed of the vision they see. They will no longer pretend to be a true prophet. They will not put on clothes that are made out of hair in order to trick people. 5 In fact, each one will say, ‘I’m not really a prophet. I’m a farmer. I’ve farmed the land since I was young.’ 6 Suppose someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ Then they will answer, ‘I was given these wounds at the house of my friends.’
The Good Shepherd Is Killed and the Sheep Are Scattered
7 “My sword, wake up! Attack my shepherd!
Attack the man who is close to me,”
announces the Lord who rules over all.
“Strike down the shepherd.
Then the sheep will be scattered.
And I will turn my hand against their little ones.
8 Here is what will happen in the whole land,”
announces the Lord.
“Two-thirds of the people will be struck down and die.
But one-third will be left.
9 I will put this third in the fire.
I will make them as pure as silver.
I will test them like gold.
They will call out to me.
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people.’
And they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
The Lord Will Be King Over the Whole Earth
14 The day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem. At that time your enemies will steal everything your people own. They will divide it up within your walls.
2 The Lord will gather all the nations together. They will fight against Jerusalem. They’ll capture the city. Its houses will be robbed. Its women will be raped. Half of the people will be taken away as prisoners. But the rest of them won’t be taken. 3 Then the Lord will march out and fight against those nations. He will fight as on a day of battle. 4 On that day he will stand on the Mount of Olives. It’s east of Jerusalem. It will be split in two from east to west. Half of the mountain will move north. The other half will move south. A large valley will be formed. 5 The people will run away through that mountain valley. It will reach all the way to Azel. They’ll run away just as they ran from the earthquake when Uzziah was king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come. All the holy ones will come with him.
6 There won’t be any sunlight on that day. There will be no cold, frosty darkness either. 7 It will be a day unlike any other. It will be a day known only to the Lord. It won’t be separated into day and night. After that day is over, there will be light again.
8 At that time water that gives life will flow out from Jerusalem. Half of it will run east into the Dead Sea. The other half will go west to the Mediterranean Sea. The water will flow in summer and winter.
9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord. His name will be the only name.
10 The whole land south of Jerusalem will be changed. From Geba to Rimmon it will become like the Arabah Valley. But Jerusalem will be raised up high. It will be raised from the Benjamin Gate to the First Gate to the Corner Gate. It will be raised from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. And it will remain in its place. 11 People will live in it. Jerusalem will never be destroyed again. It will be secure.
12 The Lord will punish all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. He’ll strike them with a plague. It will make their bodies rot while they are still standing on their feet. Their eyes will rot in their heads. Their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day the Lord will fill people with great panic. They will grab one another by the hand. And they’ll attack one another. 14 Judah will also fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected. Huge amounts of gold, silver and clothes will be gathered up. 15 The same kind of plague will strike the horses, mules, camels and donkeys. In fact, it will strike all the animals in the army camps.
16 But some people from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will still be left alive. All of them will go up there to worship the King. He is the Lord who rules over all. Year after year these people will celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17 Some nations might not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King. If they don’t, they won’t have any rain. 18 The people of Egypt might not go up there to take part. Then they won’t have any rain either. That’s the plague the Lord will send on the nations that don’t go to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 Egypt will be punished. So will all the other nations that don’t celebrate the feast.
20 On that day “Holy to the Lord” will be carved on the bells of the horses. The cooking pots in the Lord’s temple will be just like the sacred bowls in front of the altar for burnt offerings. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be set apart to the Lord. All those who come to offer sacrifices will get some of the pots and cook in them. At that time there won’t be any Canaanites in the Lord’s temple. He is the Lord who rules over all.
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 I saw “a new heaven and a new earth.” (Isaiah 65:17) The first heaven and the first earth were completely gone. There was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Look! God now makes his home with the people. He will live with them. They will be his people. And God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death.’ (Isaiah 25:8) And there will be no more sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.”
5 He who was sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true.”
6 He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water to anyone who is thirsty. The water will come from the spring of the water of life. It doesn’t cost anything! 7 Those who have victory will receive all this from me. I will be their God, and they will be my children. 8 But others will be thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who make themselves impure will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practice witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. The lake of fire is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. The bowls were filled with the seven last plagues. The angel said, “Come. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal. 12 The city had a huge, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, one at each of them. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three on the north. There were three gates on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had 12 foundations. Written on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring rod. He used it to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with the rod. It was 1,400 miles long. It was as wide and high as it was long. 17 The angel measured the wall as human beings measure things. It was 200 feet thick. 18 The wall was made out of jasper. The city was made out of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was made out of jasper. The second was made out of sapphire. The third was made out of agate. The fourth was made out of emerald. 20 The fifth was made out of onyx. The sixth was made out of ruby. The seventh was made out of chrysolite. The eighth was made out of beryl. The ninth was made out of topaz. The tenth was made out of turquoise. The eleventh was made out of jacinth. The twelfth was made out of amethyst. 21 The 12 gates were made from 12 pearls. Each gate was made out of a single pearl. The main street of the city was made out of gold. It was gold as pure as glass that people can see through clearly.
22 I didn’t see a temple in the city. That’s because the Lamb and the Lord God who rules over all are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it. God’s glory is its light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by the light of the city. The kings of the world will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut, because there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Only what is pure will enter the city. No one who causes people to believe lies will enter it. No one who does shameful things will enter it either. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the city.
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