The new Jerusalem described.

¹ I saw the new heaven and the new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and the sea is no more.¹

1. 21:1The first heaven and the first earth was gone: being changed, not as to their substance, but in their qualities.(Challoner)

² And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

³ And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: “Behold the tabernacle of God with men. And he will dwell with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be their God with them.

⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more. And neither mourning, nor crying out, nor grief shall be anymore. For the first things have passed away.”

⁵ And the One who was sitting upon the throne, said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And he said to me, “Write, for these words are entirely faithful and true.”

⁶ And he said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To those who thirst, I will give freely from the fountain of the water of life.

⁷ Whoever prevails shall possess these things. And I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

⁸ But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and drug users, and idolaters, and all liars, these shall be a part of the pool burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

⁹ And one of the seven Angels, those holding the bowls filled with the seven last afflictions, approached and spoke with me, saying: “Come, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

¹⁰ And he took me up in spirit to a great and high mountain. And he showed me the Holy City Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

¹¹ having the glory of God. And its light was like that of a precious stone, even like that of the jasper stone or like crystal.

¹² And it had a wall, great and high, having twelve gates. And at the gates were twelve Angels. And names were written upon them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.

¹³ On the East were three gates, and on the North were three gates, and on the South were three gates, and on the West were three gates.

¹⁴ And the wall of the City had twelve foundations. And upon them were the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ And he who was speaking with me was holding a golden measuring reed, in order to measure the City, and its gates and wall.

¹⁶ And the city is laid out as a square, and so its length is as great as the width. And he measured the city with the golden reed for twelve thousand stadia, and its length and height and breadth were equal.¹

1. 21:16There is some uncertainty about whether the city was 12 by 12 by 12, or 3 by 3 by 3. In my opinion, the 12 thousand stadia is related to the 12 sections of the wall, so the perimeter is 12 thousand stadia; this interpretation makes the latter part of the verse much more significant, in that it is needed to indicate that the length and height are equal (so 3 thousand stadia each), and that the height is therefore also 3 thousand stadia.(Conte)

¹⁷ And he measured its wall as one hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, which is of an Angel.¹

1. 21:17The measure of a man, i.e., According to the measure of men, and used by the angel: This seems to be the true meaning of these words.(Challoner)

¹⁸ And the structure of its wall was of jasper stone. Yet truly, the city itself was of pure gold, similar to pure glass.

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

²⁰ the fifth was of sardonyx, the sixth was of sardius, the seventh was of chrysolite, the eighth was of beryl, the ninth was of topaz, the tenth was of chrysoprasus, the eleventh was of jacinth, the twelfth was of amethyst.

²¹ And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, one for each, so that each gate was made from a single pearl. And the main street of the city was of pure gold, similar to transparent glass.

²² And I saw no temple in it. For the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb.

²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine in it. For the glory of God has illuminated it, and the Lamb is its lamp.

²⁴ And the nations shall walk by its light. And the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it.

²⁵ And its gates shall not be closed throughout the day, for there shall be no night in that place.

²⁶ And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.

²⁷ There shall not enter into it anything defiled, nor anything causing an abomination, nor anything false, but only those who have been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb.