< Revelation 21 >
1 And I saw a new Heaven and a new earth; for the first Heaven and the first earth were gone, and the sea no longer exists.
Then [in the vision] I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the oceans no longer existed.
2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God and made ready like a bride attired to meet her husband.
I saw [God’s] holy city, which is the new [city of] Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. [The city] had been prepared [and decorated] {[God] had prepared [and decorated the city]} as [SIM] a bride is decorated {decorates herself} [beautifully in order to marry] her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice, which came from the throne, say, "God's dwelling place is among men and He will dwell among them and they shall be His peoples. Yes, God Himself will be among them.
I heard a loud voice that spoke from the throne [of God]. It said, “Listen to this! Now God will live with people. He will live [right in the midst of] them [DOU]! They will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more; nor sorrow, nor wail of woe, nor pain; for the first things have passed away."
[As a result], he will [cause them to no longer be sad. It will be as though he will] [MTY] wipe every tear from their eyes. [None of them] will ever again die or mourn or cry [DOU] or suffer pain, because the former things [that make us sad] will have disappeared.”
5 Then He who was seated on the throne said, "I am re-creating all things." And He added, "Write down these words, for they are trustworthy and true."
Then [God], who sits on the throne, said, “Listen to this! I am [now] making everything new!” He said [to me]: “Write these things [that I have told you], because you can trust [that I will certainly cause them to happen].”
6 He also said, "They have now been fulfilled. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To those who are thirsty I will give the privilege of drinking from the well of the Water of Life without payment.
He said to me, “I have finished [doing all the things I needed to do]. I am the one who began all things [MET] and the one who will cause all things to end [MET]. To everyone who is [spiritually] thirsty [MET], I will (freely give/give as a free gift) water from the spring [that causes people] to live [forever].
7 All this shall be the heritage of him who overcomes, and I will be his God and he shall be one of My sons.
I will give this to every person who is victorious over [the evil powers] (OR, [over Satan]). I will be their God, and they will be my children.
8 But as for cowards and the unfaithful, and the polluted, and murderers, fornicators, and those who practise magic or worship idols, and all liars--the portion allotted to them shall be in the Lake which burns with fire and sulphur. This is the Second Death." (Limnē Pyr )
But those who are cowardly, those who do not believe [in me], those [who do] detestable things, those who are murderers, those who sin sexually, those who commit sorcery, those who worship idols, and every liar, will [all suffer] in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. [Anyone who suffers in that lake] will be dying the second time.” (Limnē Pyr )
9 Then there came one of the seven angels who were carrying the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues. "Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife."
One of the seven angels who had one of the seven bowls that had been full of [the wine/liquid causing] [MTY] the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come [with me] and I will show you [the people who have permanently united with Christ, the one who is like a] lamb! They will be [like] [MET] a bride [for him].”
10 So in the Spirit he carried me to the top of a vast, lofty mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God,
Then, while [God’s] Spirit [controlled me], the angel took/carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me [God’s] holy city, [the New] Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God.
11 and bringing with it the glory of God. It shone with a radiance like that of a very precious stone--such as a jasper, bright and transparent.
It was shining with his glory. The city was shining like a very precious jasper stone [shines, and] it was clear like crystal.
12 It has a wall, massive and high, with twelve large gates, and in charge of the gates were twelve angels. And overhead, above the gates, names were inscribed which are those of the twelve tribes of the descendants of Israel.
[Around the city] was a very high wall. The wall had twelve gates. An angel was at each gate. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written {[God] had written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel} over the gates. [Each gate had the name of one tribe].
13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.
Three gates were on the east [side], three gates were on the north [side], three gates were on the south [side], and three gates were on the west [side].
14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and engraved upon them were twelve names--the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
The wall of the city had twelve foundation [stones]. On each foundation [stone was] the name of one of the twelve apostles of [Jesus, the one who is like a] lamb.
15 Now he who was speaking to me had a measuring-rod of gold, with which to measure the city and its gates and its wall.
The angel who was speaking to me carried a golden measuring rod, in order to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
16 The plan of the city is a square, the length being the same as the breadth; and he measured the city furlong by furlong, with his measuring rod--it is twelve hundred miles long, and the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
The city was square [in shape]; it was as long as it was wide. After the angel measured the city with his rod, [he reported that it was] (1,500 miles/2,400 kilometers) long, and that its height was the same as [its length and width].
17 And he measured the wall of it--a wall of a hundred and forty-four cubits, according to human measure, which was also that of the angel.
He measured its wall [and reported that it was] ([216 ft./70 meters]) [thick] (OR, [high]). The angel used the measure that people [normally use].
18 The solid fabric of the wall was jasper; and the city itself was made of gold, resembling transparent glass.
The [city] wall was made of [something like the green stone that we call] jasper. The city [itself] was [made of something like] pure gold [that looked] like clear glass.
19 As for the foundation-stones of the city wall, which were beautified with various kinds of precious stones, the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius,
The foundations of the wall of the city were beautifully made with [wonderful stones that are like] precious stones [on earth]. The first foundation [stone was a crystalline stone like] jasper, the second [foundation stone was a blue stone like] sapphire, the third [foundation stone was a green stone like] agate, the fourth [foundation stone was a green stone like] emerald,
20 the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
the fifth [foundation stone was a brown and white layered stone like] sardonyx, the sixth [foundation stone was a red stone like] carnelian, the seventh [foundation stone was a yellow stone like] chrysolite, the eighth [foundation stone was a green stone like] beryl, the ninth [foundation stone was a yellow stone like] topaz, the tenth [foundation stone was a green stone like] chrysoprase, the eleventh [foundation stone was a blue stone like] hyacinth, and the twelfth [foundation stone was a purple stone like] amethyst.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each of them consisting of a single pearl. And the main street of the city was made of pure gold, resembling transparent glass.
The twelve gates [of the city] were [something like huge] pearls. Each gate was like [it was] a single pearl. The [ground of] the main plaza of the city (OR, The streets of the city) [appeared to be] pure gold [that looked] like clear glass.
22 I saw no sanctuary in the city, for the Lord God, the Ruler of all, is its Sanctuary, and so is the Lamb.
There was no temple in the city. The Lord God Almighty [himself], and the [one who is like a] lamb, are [there, so there was no need for] [MET] a temple.
23 Nor has the city any need of the sun or of the moon, to give it light; for the glory of God has shone upon it and its lamp is the Lamb.
The city will not need the sun or the moon to light the city, because the glory of God will illuminate the city, and [Jesus, the one who is like a] lamb, will also be its light.
24 The nations will live their lives by its light; and the kings of the earth are to bring their glory into it.
The people of [MTY] the nations will live with the light of the city [shining upon them]. And the kings of the earth will bring their wealth into the city [to honor God and the one who is like a lamb].
25 And in the daytime (for there will be no night there) the gates will never be closed;
The gates of the city will not be shut {No one will shut the gates of the city} [at the end of each day as they usually are shut], because there will be no night there.
26 and the glory and honor of the nations shall be brought into it.
The [people of the] world will also bring their wealth into the city to honor [God and the one who is like a lamb].
27 And no unclean thing shall ever enter it, nor any one who is guilty of base conduct or tells lies, but only they whose names stand recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.
No one who is morally impure, no one who does things [that God considers] detestable, and no one who tells lies, will ever enter that city. Only those people whose names are written in the book of the [one who is like a] lamb {whose [names] the [one who is like a] lamb has written in his book}, [the names] of people who have [eternal] life, will be there.