Revelation 21:1–14

The New Heaven and the New Earth

21^*Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. ^2*And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. ^3*I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God’s home is with human beings! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. ^4*He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.”

⁵Then the one who sits on the throne said, “And now I make all things new!” He also said to me, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.” ^6*And he said, “It is done! I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it. ^7*Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children. ⁸But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, and all liars—the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

⁹One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, “Come, and I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ^10*The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God ¹¹and shining with the glory of God. The city shone like a precious stone, like a jasper, clear as crystal. ^12*It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels in charge of the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel. ^13*There were three gates on each side: three on the east, three on the south, three on the north, and three on the west. ¹⁴The city’s wall was built on twelve foundation stones, on which were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.