Open English Translation REV Chapter 21

21 Then I saw a new sky and a new earth, because the first sky and the first earth had gone away, and there weren’t any more oceans.[ref] 2 Then I saw the chosen city—the new Jerusalem—coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride all dressed up for her husband,[ref] 3 and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Listen, God will now live here with the people—he’ll live with them and they’ll be his people, and God himself will be with them.[ref] 4 He’ll wipe all their tears away from their eyes, and there won’t be any more death or grieving, or crying or pain. They won’t even exist any longer—the original world is gone.”[ref]

5 Then the one sitting on the throne said, “Listen, I’m remaking everything.” And he told me, “Write that down because these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he told me, “Everything’s done. I’m the A and the Z—the beginning and the end. I’ll freely give from the spring of the water of life to anyone who’s thirsty.[ref] 7 All of those who conquer will inherit those things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.[ref] 8 But as for the cowardly and the unbelieving, the abhorred and murderers, fornicators and sorcerers, and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

9 Then one of the seven messengers holding the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I’ll show you the bride—the lamb’s wife.” 10 Then in the spirit, he carried me away to a very large, high mountain and he showed me the HOLY city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,[ref] 11 shining like God’s splendour—its brilliance being like a very precious stone—like a jasper stone shining like crystal. 12 The city had wall that was both wide and high, with twelve gates and twelve messengers at the gates. The gates had the names of the twelve tribes (from Israel’s twelve sons) written on them.[ref] 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14 The city wall had twelve foundation stones, and they had the names of the lamb’s twelve missionaries written on them.

15 The messenger speaking to me had a golden measuring rod so that he could measure the city and its gates and wall.[ref] 16 The city was laid out square with the length equalling the width. Using the rod, the messenger measured the city at 2.2km on each edge, with the length, width, and height all being equal. 17 He also measured the wall to be 70m using normal measurements.[fn] 18 The wall was made of green jasper stone and the city itself was pure gold but as clear as glass.[ref] 19 The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with many different kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls—each one of the gates individually was from one pearl—and the city street was pure gold—transparent like glass.

22 I didn’t see any temple in the city because the master, the all-powerful God, and the lamb are its temple. 23 The city doesn’t need the sun or moon to illuminate it because God’s radiance illuminates it, and its lamp is the lamb.[ref] 24 The nations will be able to walk around from its light, and the kings on the earth will bring their best into the city.[ref] 25 It’ll never get dark there, so the city gates will never need to be closed[ref] 26 and they will bring the prestige and the honour of the nations into it. 27 However, nothing that’s ‘unclean’ will ever enter the city, and nor will those with shameful or dishonest behaviour—only those whose names have been written in the lamb’s book of life.[ref]