Revelation 21

1I saw a brand-new heaven and a brand-new earth! The first heaven and the first earth vanished away. And the chaotic ocean sea existed no more!

2I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, descending from God. It shone with beauty, like a bride prepared for her husband.

3A thundering voice roared from the throne: Look! God's permanent dwelling place is now directly among human beings! He will live together with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will dwell among them as their God!

4He will gently wipe away every tear from their crying eyes. Death will never strike again, and sorrow will be no more! Crying and agonizing pain will vanish forever, because the former order of suffering has passed away!

5The One seated on the throne declared: Look! I am making all things brand-new! He commanded: Write this down, because these words are true and faithful!

6He said to me: It is accomplished! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty, I will give water freely! They will drink without cost from the spring of living water.

7Whoever conquers will inherit all these glorious blessings. I will be their God, and they will be my beloved child!

8But cowards, unbelievers, murderers, and the corrupt will face judgment. Sexually immoral people, occult sorcerers, idol worshipers, and all liars: their final place is the lake of burning sulfur! This lake of fire is the irreversible second death.

9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls approached me. Those bowls were full of the seven last plagues. The angel said: Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.

10He carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.

11It shone with the glory of God. Its brightness was like a very precious jewel, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

12It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates were twelve angels. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

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

14The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15The angel carried a golden measuring rod to survey the city. He measured its foundations, its massive gates, and its high walls.

16The city was laid out as a perfect square. Its length, width, and height were exactly equal! The angel measured the city: fourteen hundred miles long, wide, and high!

17He measured the perimeter wall: two hundred sixteen feet thick. The angel used standard human measurements to survey the wall.

18The city wall was built with radiant crystalline jasper. The city itself was pure gold, translucent like polished glass!

19Twelve distinct precious gemstones decorated the city's foundation layers. The foundations displayed jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, and onyx.

20They sparkled with carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst.

21The twelve gates were crafted from twelve giant pearls. Each individual gate was carved out of one single pearl! The central avenue of the city was transparent, pure gold.

22I searched for a temple building, but saw none! The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its living temple!

23The city has no need for sunlight or moonlight to shine. God's radiant glory illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp!

24The redeemed nations will walk forward in its glorious light. Earthly kings will carry their honor and glory into it.

25Its pearl gates will never close during the day. And night will never exist inside that city!

26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

27Nothing defiled, disgusting, or deceptive will ever cross its gates. Only those recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life will enter!