Revelation 21 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The New Creation

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,(A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed.(B) 2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(C) prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.(D)

3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:[a]

Look! God’s dwelling[b] is with humanity,
and He will live with them.
They will be His people,(E)
and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.[c]
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(F)
Death will no longer exist;(G)
grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer,(H)
because the previous things[d] have passed away.(I)

5 Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words[e] are faithful and true.”(J) 6 And He said to me, “It is done!(K) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(L) the Beginning and the End.(M) I will give water as a gift to the thirsty(N) from the spring of life.(O) 7 The victor(P) will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.(Q) 8 But the cowards, unbelievers,[f] vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,(R) which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9 Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues,(S) came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 He then carried me away in the Spirit[g](T) to a great and high mountain(U) and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 arrayed with God’s glory.(V) Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal. 12 The city had a massive high wall, with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the 12 tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.(W) 14 The city wall had 12 foundations, and the 12 names of the Lamb’s 12 apostles were on the foundations.

15 The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod(X) to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.(Y) 16 The city is laid out in a square; its length and width are the same. He measured the city with the rod at 12,000 stadia.[h] Its length, width, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall, 144 cubits according to human measurement, which the angel used. 18 The building material of its wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold like clear glass.

19 The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone:(Z)

the first foundation 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,
the twelfth amethyst.

21 The 12 gates are 12 pearls; each individual gate was made of a single pearl. The broad street[i] of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 I did not see a sanctuary in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.(AA) 24 The nations[j] will walk in its light,(AB) and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.[k](AC) 25 Each day its gates will never close because it will never be night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.[l](AD) 27 Nothing profane will ever enter it:(AE) no one who does what is vile or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.(AF)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 21:3 Other mss read from heaven
  2. Revelation 21:3 Or tent, or tabernacle
  3. Revelation 21:3 Other mss omit and be their God
  4. Revelation 21:4 Or the first things
  5. Revelation 21:5 Other mss add of God
  6. Revelation 21:8 Other mss add the sinful
  7. Revelation 21:10 Or in spirit
  8. Revelation 21:16 A stadion (sg) = about 600 feet; 12,000 stadia = 1,400 miles.
  9. Revelation 21:21 Or The public square
  10. Revelation 21:24 Other mss add of those who are saved
  11. Revelation 21:24 Other mss read will bring to Him the nations’ glory and honor
  12. Revelation 21:26 Other mss add in order that they might go in

Cross references

  1. 21:1 : Is 65:17; 66:22; 2Pt 3:13
  2. 21:1 : Rv 13:1
  3. 21:2 : Gl 4:26; Heb 11:10; Rv 3:12
  4. 21:2 : Is 61:10; Rv 19:7
  5. 21:3 : Lv 26:11-12; Jr 31:33; Ezk 37:27; Zch 8:8
  6. 21:4 : Is 25:8; 30:19; 51:11; Rv 7:17
  7. 21:4 : Hs 13:14; 1Co 15:54
  8. 21:4 : Is 35:10; 60:20; 65:19
  9. 21:4 : Is 42:9
  10. 21:5 : Rv 22:6
  11. 21:6 : Rv 16:17
  12. 21:6 : Rv 1:8; 22:13
  13. 21:6 : Is 44:6; 48:12
  14. 21:6 : Ps 42:1-2; Is 41:17; 44:3; 55:1; Jn 4:14; 7:37
  15. 21:6 : Ps 36:9; Jr 2:13; Jn 4:14
  16. 21:7 : Rv 2:7
  17. 21:7 : 2Sm 7:14
  18. 21:8 : Rv 19:20
  19. 21:9 : Rv 16:1
  20. 21:10 : Rv 1:10; 4:2; 17:3
  21. 21:10 : Ezk 40:2
  22. 21:11 : Is 60:1-2
  23. 21:13 : Ezk 48:30-34
  24. 21:15 : Rv 11:1
  25. 21:15 : Ezk 40:3
  26. 21:19 : Ex 28:15-21; Is 54:11
  27. 21:23 : Is 24:23; 30:26; 60:19-20; Zch 14:6-7; Rv 22:5
  28. 21:24 : Is 42:6; 49:6; 60:3, 5
  29. 21:24 : Is 49:7, 23; 60:10
  30. 21:26 : Is 60:11
  31. 21:27 : Is 35:8; 52:1
  32. 21:27 : Rv 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15

You Might Also Like:

Revelation 21 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth did pass away, and the sea is not any more; 2 and I, John, saw the holy city -- new Jerusalem -- coming down from God out of the heaven, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and I heard a great voice out ...
Read More

Revelation 21 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

21 And I saw new heaven and new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth went away, and the sea is not now [and now is not the sea]. 2 And I John saw the holy city Jerusalem, new, coming down from heaven, made ready of God, as a wife adorned to her husband. [And I John saw the holy city Jeru...
Read More

Revelation 21 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had gone away. There was no sea any more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was all ready and waiting, like a woman dressed for her wedding and ready to meet her husband. 3 I h...
Read More

Revelation 21 - World English Bible (WEB)

21 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, G...
Read More

Revelation 21 - The Voice (VOICE)

21 I looked again and could hardly believe my eyes. Everything above me was new. Everything below me was new. Everything around me was new because the heaven and earth that had been passed away, and the sea was gone, completely. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven...
Read More

Revelation 21 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

A New Heaven and a New Earth21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.[a] 2 I also saw the holy city—the New Jerusalem—coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [b] 3 I also hea...
Read More

Revelation 21 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The New Heaven and the New Earth21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and I heard a ...
Read More

Revelation 21 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

21 And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth. For the first Heaven and the first Earth had passed away. And there was no more sea. 2 And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, come down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of Heaven, s...
Read More

Revelation 21 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

New Heaven, New Earth21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, from God, prepared like a bride dressed up for her husband. 3 I heard a l...
Read More

Revelation 21 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The New Heaven and the New Earth21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I hear...
Read More

Revelation 21 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The New Heaven and the New Earth21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.(A)2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.(B)3 And I he...
Read More

Revelation 21 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

In this chapter is described the new and spiritual Jerusalem. 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were vanished away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I, John, saw that holy city, new Jerusalem, come down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride ma...
Read More

Revelation 21 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The New Jerusalem21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from...
Read More

Revelation 21 - New Life Version (NLV)

All Things New21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away. There was no more sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It was made ready like a bride is made ready for her husband. 3 I heard a loud...
Read More

Revelation 21 - New King James Version (NKJV)

All Things Made New21 Now (A)I saw a new heaven and a new earth, (B)for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, [a]John, saw (C)the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared (D)as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 An...
Read More