Revelation 21

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

1Then I saw a new sky and a new earth. The first sky and the first earth were gone. There was no more sea.

2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

2I, John, saw the holy city. It was the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of the sky. It was ready like a bride dressed for her wedding.

3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

3I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, "Look! God's home is now with people. He will live with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God.

4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

4God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. No one will die anymore. No one will be sad or cry or hurt. The old things are gone for good."

5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

5The one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new." Then he said to me, "Write this down. These words are true, and you can trust them."

6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

6He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Anyone who is thirsty may drink from the spring of the water of life. It costs nothing.

Note"Alpha" and "Omega" are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, like saying A and Z.

7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

7The one who keeps going and wins will be given all these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.

8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

8But some people will end up in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death. They are the cowardly, and those who will not believe, and those who do disgusting things. They are murderers, and people who use sex in wrong ways. They are people who use magic, and people who worship false gods, and all liars."

9And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

9One of the seven angels came and talked with me. These angels had the seven bowls filled with the seven last troubles. He said, "Come with me. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

10And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

10God's Spirit carried me away to a very high mountain. There the angel showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the sky from God.

11Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

11The city shone with the glory of God. Its light was like a very costly jewel. It was like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal.

12And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

12The city had a great, high wall with twelve gates. At the gates were twelve angels. On the gates were written the names of the twelve family groups of Israel.

13On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

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

14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

14The city wall stood on twelve foundation stones. On them were the names of the Lamb's twelve apostles, the men he sent out.

15And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

15The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring stick. He used it to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

16The city was a perfect square. It was as wide as it was long. He measured it with the stick. It was twelve thousand stadia each way. Its length, width, and height were all the same.

NoteA stadion was a Greek measure, about 600 feet. Twelve thousand of them is roughly 1,400 miles.

17And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

17He measured the wall too. It was one hundred forty-four cubits, using the same measures people use.

NoteA cubit was about 18 inches, the length from a man's elbow to his fingertips.

18And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

18The wall was made of jasper. The city itself was pure gold, as clear as glass.

19And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

19The foundation stones of the city wall were covered with every kind of costly jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, and the fourth emerald.

20The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

20The fifth was sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, and the eighth beryl. The ninth was topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

21The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each gate was made from one pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

22And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

22I saw no temple in the city. The Lord God, who is stronger than all, and the Lamb are its temple.

23And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

23The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it. The glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

24And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

24The nations will walk by its light. The kings of the earth will bring their riches into it.

25And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

25Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day. There will be no night there.

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

26People will bring the best and finest things of the nations into it.

27And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

27Nothing dirty will ever go into the city. No one who does disgusting things or tells lies will go in. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will go in.