The River of Life 1 UST Then the angel showed me the river that causes people who drink from it to live forever. The water was sparkling and clear like crystal. The river was flowing out from the thrones where God and the Lamb were sitting. BSB BSB: Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 UST It flowed down through the middle of the city’ s open area. On each side of the river was a tree with fruit that causes people who eat it to live forever. These trees produce fruit 12 times a year. They produce a crop each month. The people groups use the leaves of the trees as medicine. BSB BSB: down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3 UST There will never be anyone or anything there that God will curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. God’ s servants will worship him there. BSB BSB: No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him.
4 UST They will see him face to face, and his name will appear on their foreheads. BSB BSB: They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
5 UST There will never again be night. God’ s servants will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun because the Lord God will shine his light upon them. They will rule forever. BSB BSB: There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming 6 UST The angel said to me:“These things that God has shown you are true, and he will certainly make them happen. The Lord God who inspires the prophets sent his angel to show the people who serve him the events that must happen soon.” BSB BSB: Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place.”
7 UST Jesus says to all his people,“Listen to this! I am coming soon; God will abundantly bless everyone who obeys the prophetic message in this book.” BSB BSB: “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”
8 UST I, John, am the one who heard and saw in a vision these things that I have written down. When I had heard and seen them, I immediately lay down in front of the angel who had shown me these things in order to worship him. BSB BSB: And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.
9 UST But he said to me,“Do not worship me! I am just a servant of God like you! I am also a servant like your fellow believers who are the prophets, and like those who obey the message in this book. Instead, worship God!” BSB BSB: But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
10 UST He also said to me,“Do not keep secret the message about what God has foretold in this book, because it is almost time for him to fulfill this message. BSB BSB: Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
11 UST Since that time is near, if those who act in an evil manner want to continue to act that way, let them continue to do so. If those who are vile want to continue to be vile, let them continue to do so. God will soon punish them for that. But those who are acting righteously should continue to act righteously. Those who are acting as people should who belong to God should continue to act that way.” BSB BSB: Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”
12 UST Jesus says to all people:“Listen! I am coming soon! And I will punish or reward everyone according to what each one has done. BSB BSB: “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.
13 UST I am the one who began all things and the one who will cause all things to end. I am before all things and I am at the end of all things. BSB BSB: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
14 UST God is very pleased with the people who stop living in wrong ways and start living in right ways. Because they do that, those people will be able to eat the fruit of the tree that enables people to live forever. They will be able to go through the gates into the holy city. BSB BSB: Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
15 UST But others will not enter that city. This includes people who do wicked things, practice witchcraft, sin sexually, murder others, worship idols, or lie continually. BSB BSB: But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 UST I, Jesus, sent my angel to announce these things that will affect you groups of believers. Mysteriously, I am both the ancestor of King David and his descendant whom the prophets promised would come. I am the one who is like the bright morning star.” BSB BSB: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
17 UST The Holy Spirit and the people who belong to God say,“Come!” Whoever hears this should also say,“Come!” Everyone who wants everlasting life should receive it! God will give everlasting life as a free gift to everyone who desires it! BSB BSB: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
Nothing May Be Added or Removed 18 UST I, John, solemnly warn everyone who hears the message about what I have foretold in this book: If anyone adds anything to this message, God will punish him in the ways that this book tells about. BSB BSB: I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
19 UST And if anyone takes away any of the message about the things I have foretold in this book, God will take away that person’ s right to eat fruit from the tree that enables people to live forever. God will also take away that person’ s right to enter the new Jerusalem. I describe both these things in this book. BSB BSB: And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 UST Jesus, who says that all these things are true, says,“Certainly I am coming soon!” I, John, reply,“May it be so! Lord Jesus, come!” BSB BSB: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 UST I pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to act kindly to all of you who are God’ s people. May it be so! BSB BSB: The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.