1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2I2659 saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3I heard a loud voice from heaven2660 saying,2661 “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people! He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them!2662 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes! Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, crying, or pain any more. For the first things have passed away.”
5The one who sits on the throne said to me, “Behold, I am making all things new!”2663 He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true!” 6He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega,2664 the Beginning and the End.2665 To the one who is thirsty, I will freely give from the spring of the water of life.2666 7To the one who overcomes, I will give these things. I will be {a} God to him, and he will be a son2667 to me. 8But as for the cowardly, the unbelieving,2668 the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic,2669 idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
The bride of the Lamb—The holy city
9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls loaded with the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 10In the Spirit, he carried me away to a great and high mountain, and he showed me2670 the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11She had the glory of God; her radiance was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12She had a great and high wall with twelve gates. At the gates were twelve angels, and names were written on the gates: the names of the Twelve tribes of the children of Israel. 13On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14The wall of the city had twelve foundations,2671 and on them the twelve2672 names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
15The angel2673 who spoke with me held a golden measuring reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. 16The city was laid out as a square: its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand stadia.2674 Its length, breadth, and height are equal.2675 17Then the angel2676 measured its wall: one hundred forty-four cubits,2677 by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.2678 18Its wall was built with jasper and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. 19The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire;2679 the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst. 21The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22I saw no sanctuary in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its sanctuary. 23The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24The nations2680 will walk by its light; the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor2681 into it. 25Its gates will not be shut by day (for there will be no night there), 26and the nations will come, bringing their splendor and tribute.2682 27Nothing profane will enter into the city, or anyone who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- TR reads “I, John”
- CT reads “the throne” instead of “heaven”
- Compare Luke 3:21-22
- TR adds “as their God.”
- Compare 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15
- Greek evgw, ÎeivmiÐ to. :Alfa kai. to. +W
- Greek h` avrch. kai. to. te,loj (also “the origin and the fulfillment”)
- Compare John 4:14
- Or “child,” “heir”—Literally “I will be to him – a God, and he shall be to me – the son (YLT)”
- MT adds “and sinners”
- The word for “sorcerers” (those who practice magic) here may also include users of potions and drugs.
- TR adds “the great”
- Compare Hebrews 11:10
- TR omits “twelve”
- Greek “he”
- 12,000 stadia = 2,221 kilometers or 1,380 miles. MT reads 12,012 stadia instead of 12,000 stadia.
- The holy city is a cube, like the holy of holies.
- Greek “he”
- 144 cubits is about 65.8 meters or 216 feet
- Or “which the angel was using”
- Or “lapis lazuli.” Compare Tobit 13:17
- TR adds “of those who are saved”
- Some manuscripts (MT) read “of the nations”
- Or “glory and honor”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
