1 A nd 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.

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

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 A nd 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.

I heard a loud voice coming from heaven. It said, “See! God’s home is with men. He will live with them. They will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will be their God.

4 A nd 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.

God will take away all their tears. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All the old things have passed away.”

5 A nd 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.

Then the One sitting on the throne said, “See! I am making all things new. Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

6 A nd 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.

Then He said to me, “These things have happened! I am the First and the Last. I am the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty, I will give the water of life. It is a free gift.

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

He who has power and wins will receive these things. I will be his God and he will be My son.

8 B ut 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.

But those who are afraid and those who do not have faith and the sinful-minded people and those who kill other people and those who do sex sins and those who follow witchcraft and those who worship false gods and all those who tell lies will be put into the lake of fire and sulphur. This is the second death.” The New Jerusalem

9 A nd 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.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven jars full of the seven last troubles came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10 A nd 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,

I was carried away in the Spirit by the angel to a very high mountain. He showed me the Holy City of Jerusalem. It was coming out of heaven from God.

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

It was filled with the shining-greatness of God. It shone like a stone worth much money, like a jasper stone. It was clear like glass.

12 a nd 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:

It had a very high wall, and there were twelve gates. Twelve angels stood by the gates. The names of the twelve family groups of the Jewish nation were written on the gates.

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

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

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

The walls were on twelve stones. The names of the twelve missionaries of the Lamb were written on the stones.

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

The angel had a stick in his hand. It was used to find out how big the city and its gates and the walls were.

16 A nd 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.

He found out that the city was as wide as it was long and it was as high as it was wide. It was as long as a man could walk in fifty days. It was the same each way.

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

The angel found out that the walls were the same as a man taking seventy-two long steps. The angel used the same way to find out about the city as a man would have used.

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

The wall was made of jasper. The city was made of pure gold. This gold was as clear as glass.

19 A nd 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;

The city was built on every kind of stone that was worth much money. The first stone was jasper. The second was sapphire. The third was chalcedony. The fourth was emerald.

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

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

21 A nd 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.

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

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

I did not see a house of God in the city. The All-powerful Lord God and the Lamb are the house of God in this city.

23 A nd 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.

There is no need for the sun and moon to shine in the city. The shining-greatness of God makes it full of light. The Lamb is its light.

24 A nd 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.

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

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

The gates are open all day. They will never be shut. There will be no night there.

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

The greatness and honor of all the nations will be brought into it.

27 A nd 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.

Nothing sinful will go into the city. No one who is sinful-minded or tells lies can go in. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life can go in.