Revelation 21

₁Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and first earth had disappeared. It was gone and there was no sea anymore. ₂Then I saw the city of God, the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, from God. The city was prepared like a bride who has prepared herself beautifully for her husband. ₃And I heard Someone speaking loudly from the throne of God. He said:

₅And God who was sitting on the throne said: ‘Look, I am changing everything. I am making all things new.’ God also said: ‘You must write down what I say because I always do what I say. I always speak the truth.’

₆Then God said to me: ‘It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. If someone is thirsty, then I will give him water that will give him eternal_life and this water is free. ₇If you win against Satan and keep on believing, then I will be very good to you. I will be your God and you will be my child.

₈But I will punish all the people who were afraid to talk about God and the people who did not keep on believing. I will throw them into the sea of fire and sulphur, together with the people who did very bad things, the people who killed other people, the people who lived immorally, the people who did magic, the people who served_idols and the people who told lies. The sea of fire and sulphur is the 2nd_death.’

₉One of the 7 angels came to me. It was one of the 7 angels who brought the punishment that God gave. It was God's last punishment in the 7 bowls. The angel said to me: ‘You must come with me, and I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’

₁₀The power of the Spirit came over me, and the angel took me to a big and high mountain. Then he showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem. The city came down from heaven, from God. ₁₁The city was full of light, the light that shines from God, the King. The city was shining like a very expensive gemstone, like a very clear and shining jasper. ₁₂The city had a big, high wall and in the wall there were 12 gates. At the 12 gates were 12 angels and the names of the 12 tribes_of_Israel were written on the gates. ₁₃There were 3 gates in the wall east of the city, 3 gates in the wall north of the city, 3 gates in the wall south of the city and 3 gates in the wall west of the city. ₁₄The wall of the city had 12 foundations. The 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb were written on the foundations.

₁₅The angel who talked to me had a golden measuring-stick to measure the city and the gates and the wall. ₁₆The city was square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city: It was 12 000 stadioi long and 12 000 stadioi wide and 12 000 stadioi high. ₁₇He also measured the wall. It was 144 cubits high. The angel measured how many cubits it was. He did it in the way that people always measure a cubit. ₁₈The wall was made of jasper and the city was made of the best gold. It was shining like the most beautiful glass.

₁₉There were beautiful gemstones on the foundations of the wall. On the first foundation was jasper. On the 2nd foundation was sapphire. On the 3rd foundation was agate. On the 4th foundation was emerald. ₂₀On the 5th foundation was onyx. On the 6th foundation was carnelian. On the 7th foundation was chrysolite. On the 8th foundation was beryl. On the 9th foundation was topaz. On the 10th foundation was chrysoprase. On the 11th foundation was jacinth. On the 12th foundation was amethyst.

₂₁The 12 gates were 12 pearls. Yes, each gate was made of one big pearl. The streets of the city were made of the best gold. They looked like glass, and one could see through it. ₂₂I did not see a temple in the city because the Lord God who can do anything, and the Lamb, was the temple of the city. ₂₃There was not a sun or a moon to light the city. The city did not need the sun or the moon because the light and the glory that comes from God gave light, and the Lamb was the Lamp of the city. ₂₄The people of all nations will live in the light of the city and the kings of the earth will come to the city, bringing their beautiful things with them. That will show how important the city is. ₂₅The gates of the city will never be closed in the day and there will never be night. ₂₆The nations of the world will bring their beautiful things and treasures to the city. They will praise the city and say how important it is. ₂₇But impure people and impure things can never go into the city. People who do bad things and people who tell lies can also never go in. But there are people who will go into the city. Their names are written in the book_of_life, the book of the Lamb.