Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Psalm of Praise.

Freedom from Captivity Promised

30 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Write in a book all the words which I have spoken to you. ³ For behold (hear this), the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will return them to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they will take possession of it.’”

⁴ Now these are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

⁵ “Thus says the Lord,

⁸ ‘It shall come about on that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘that I will break the yoke off your neck and I will tear off your bonds and force apart your shackles; and strangers will no longer make slaves of the people [of Israel]. ⁹ But they shall serve the Lord their God and [the descendant of] David their King, whom I will raise up for them.^(B)

⁵ And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true [they are accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy].”^{(A) 6} And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost.^{(B) 7 [a]}He who overcomes [the world by adhering faithfully to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.^{(C) 8} But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

⁹ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a vast and lofty mountain, and showed me the holy (sanctified) city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,^{(D) 11} having God’s glory [filled with His radiant light]. The brilliance of it resembled a rare and very precious jewel, like ^[b]jasper, shining and clear as crystal. ¹² It had a massive and high wall, with twelve [large] gates, and at the gates [were stationed] twelve angels; and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written.^{(E) 13} On the east side [there were] three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Christ).

¹⁵ The one who was speaking with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. ¹⁶ The city is laid out as a square, its length being the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod—twelve thousand stadia (about 1,400 miles); its length and width and height are equal. ¹⁷ He measured its wall also—a hundred forty-four cubits (about 200 feet), according to man’s measurements, which are [also] angelic [measurements]. ¹⁸ The wall was built of jasper; and the city was pure gold, transparent like clear crystal.^{(F) 19} The foundation stones of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, ^[c]chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;^{(G) 20} the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite (yellow topaz); the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each separate gate was of one single pearl. And the street (broad way) of the city was pure gold, like transparent crystal.

²² I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the glory (splendor, radiance) of God has illumined it, and the Lamb is its lamp and light.^{(H) 24} The nations [the redeemed people from the earth] will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring into it their glory.^{(I) 25} By day (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed [in fear of evil];^{(J) 26} and they will bring the glory (splendor, majesty) and the honor of the nations into it; ²⁷ and nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominations [detestable, morally repugnant things] and lying, but only those [will be admitted] whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.^(K)