A New Heaven and a New Earth (Isaiah 65:17–25)
2 UDB I saw God's holy city, which is the new city of Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. God had prepared it and decorated it, just as women decorate a bride in order to marry a man. BSB BSB: I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
5 UDB 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." BSB BSB: And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”
6 UDB He also said to me, "I have completed all these things! I am the one who began all things and the one who will cause all things to end. To everyone who wants it, I will freely give water from the spring that causes people to live forever. BSB BSB: And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
7 UDB I will give this to all who are victorious over Satan. I will be their God, and they will be my children. BSB BSB: The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.
8 UDB But those who are cowardly, those who do not believe in me, those who do detestable things, those who murder people, those who sin sexually, those who do witchcraft, those who worship idols, and every liar will all suffer in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is what it means to die a second time." BSB BSB: But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem 9 UDB Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of wine—the wine that caused the seven last ways of suffering—came and said to me, "Come with me and I will show you the people who have permanently united with the Lamb as a woman marries a man!" BSB BSB: Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
10 UDB Then God's Spirit took control of me, and the angel took me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me God's holy city, the new Jerusalem, which was coming down out of heaven from God. v 11 It looked like the brilliant light that came from God himself. The city looked like a precious stone called jasper, which was clear like crystal. BSB BSB: And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
12 UDB 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 over the gates. Each gate had the name of one tribe. BSB BSB: The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates.
13 UDB 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. BSB BSB: There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.
14 UDB The city wall had twelve foundation stones. On each foundation stone was the name of one of the twelve apostles whom the Lamb had appointed. BSB BSB: The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 UDB The angel who was speaking to me carried a golden measuring rod, a rod that he used to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. BSB BSB: The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.
16 UDB 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 2,200 kilometers long, and that its width and height were each the same as its length. BSB BSB: The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height.
17 UDB He measured its wall and reported that it was sixty-six meters thick. The angel used the measure that people normally use. BSB BSB: And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.
18 UDB The city wall was made of something like the precious stone called jasper. The city itself was made of pure gold that looked like clear glass. BSB BSB: The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass.
19 UDB The foundations of the wall of the city were beautifully made with precious stones. The first foundation stone was jasper, the second foundation stone was sapphire, the third foundation stone was chalcedony, the fourth foundation stone was emerald, BSB BSB: The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
20 UDB the fifth foundation stone was sardonyx, the sixth foundation stone was carnelian, the seventh foundation stone was chrysolite, the eighth foundation stone was beryl, the ninth foundation stone was topaz, the tenth foundation stone was chrysoprase, the eleventh foundation stone was jacinth, and the twelfth foundation stone was amethyst. BSB BSB: the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 UDB The twelve gates of the city were something like huge pearls. Each gate was like a single pearl. The city streets appeared to be pure gold that looked like clear glass. BSB BSB: And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.
22 UDB There was no temple in the city. The Lord God who rules over all and the Lamb are its temple. BSB BSB: But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 UDB The city will not need the sun or the moon to light it, because the light coming from God will light the city and the Lamb will also be its light. BSB BSB: And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.
24 UDB The people who live in the nations walk with the light of the city shining on them. The kings of the earth will bring their wealth into the city to honor God and the Lamb. BSB BSB: By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.
25 UDB The gates of the city will not be shut at the end of the day as they usually are shut because there will be no night there. BSB BSB: Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there.
26 UDB They will bring the glorious treasure of all the nations into the city. BSB BSB: And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations.
27 UDB Nothing that is morally impure, no one who does deeds 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 that belongs to the Lamb—the book that has the names of people who have eternal life—will be there. BSB BSB: But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.