Chapter 21

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed.

2I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride dressed beautifully for her husband.

3I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s home is now among human beings. He will live with them. They will be the peoples who belong to him, and God himself will be with them.

4The voice continued, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist. There will be no more grief, crying, or pain. The former things have passed away.”

5The one seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” Then he said, “Write this down, because these words are trustworthy and true.”

6He said to me, “These things have now happened. I am Alpha and Omega—the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet—the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty, I will freely give water from the spring that gives life.

7He continued, “Everyone who overcomes will receive all this as an inheritance. I will be that person’s God, and that person will be my son.

8But the cowards, the faithless, those given over to disgusting practices, murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idol worshipers, and all liars will have their place in the lake burning with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

9Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came and spoke to me. He said, “Come. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10In a Spirit-given vision, the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain. He showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

11The city was filled with God’s radiant presence. Its light shone like a very precious stone, like crystal-clear jasper.

12It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates. Written on the gates were the names of the twelve tribes descended from Israel.

13There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.

14The city wall had twelve foundations. On them were the twelve names of the Lamb’s twelve messengers.

15The angel speaking with me held a gold measuring rod so that he could measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16The city was laid out as a square, as long as it was wide. The angel measured it with the rod: 12,000 stadia, about 2,200 kilometers or 1,400 miles. Its length, width, and height were equal.

17He also measured its wall: 144 cubits, about 65 meters or 215 feet. He used the ordinary human standard of measurement, which the angel also used.

18The wall was built of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

19The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, and the fourth emerald.

20The fifth was sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each gate was made from a single pearl. The city’s main street was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22I saw no temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God, ruler over all, and the Lamb.

23The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it, because God’s radiant presence gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24The nations will walk by the city’s light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

25Its gates will never be closed during the day, and there will be no night there.

26People will bring the splendor and honor of the nations into the city.

27Nothing defiled will ever enter it, nor will anyone who practices what is disgusting or false. Only those listed in the Lamb’s book of life will enter.