Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had gone away. There was no sea any more.

² I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was all ready and waiting, like a woman dressed for her wedding and ready to meet her husband.

³ I heard a loud voice in heaven. It said, `Look! God's house is now set up among the people. God will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them.

⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. No one will die. No one will ever cry or be sad for any reason. No one will ever have trouble. The old things are gone.'

⁵ The One who sat on the throne said, `Look, I make all things new.' And he said, `Write this, because these words can be trusted. they are true.'

⁶ He said to me, `It is finished! I am the First and the Last! I am the Beginning and the End. I will give the river of water that gives life to those who are thirsty. It will cost no money.

³¹ `The Son of Man will be great and will come with all his holy angels. Then he will sit on his throne like a king.

³² All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will put them in two groups like a man who takes care of sheep. He puts the sheep on one side of him and he puts the goats on the other side of him.

³³ The Son of Man will put people who are like the sheep at his right side. He will put people who are like the goats at his left side.

³⁴ Then the King will say to those who are at his right side, "Come! My Father has blessed you. The kingdom was made ready for you when the world was first made. Come into it now.

³⁵ I was hungry. You gave me food. I was thirsty. You gave me a drink. I was a stranger. You took me in.

³⁶ I needed clothes. You gave me clothes. I was sick. You came to visit me. I was in prison. You came to see me."

³⁷ `Then the good people will ask him, "Lord when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you a drink?

³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and take you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give you clothes?

³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and come to see you?"

⁴⁰ `The King will answer them, "I tell you the truth. What you did for even the smallest of these people you did for me. They are my brothers."

⁴¹ `Then he will say to those at the left side "Go away from me. You are cursed. Go into the fire that burns for ever. That fire has been made ready for the devil and his angels.

⁴² I was hungry. You did not give me food. I was thirsty. You did not give me a drink.

⁴³ I was a stranger. You did not take me in. I needed clothes. You did not give me any clothes. I was sick and in prison. You did not come to see me."

⁴⁴ `Then they will also ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?"

⁴⁵ `Then the King will answer them, "I tell you the truth. What you did not do for even the smallest of these, you did not do for me."

⁴⁶ And they will go away to be punished for ever. But the good people will go away to live for ever.'