1I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth.’ The first heaven and the first earth were completely gone. There was no longer any sea. (Isa 65:17)2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.3I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, ‘Look! God now makes his home with the people. He will live with them. They will be his people. And God himself will be with them and be their God.4“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death.” And there will be no more sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.’ (Isa 25:8)5He who was sitting on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true.’6He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water to anyone who is thirsty. The water will come from the spring of the water of life. It doesn’t cost anything!7Those who have victory will receive all this from me. I will be their God, and they will be my children.8But others will be thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who make themselves impure will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practise witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. The lake of fire is the second death.’
The new Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb
9One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. The bowls were filled with the seven last plagues. The angel said, ‘Come. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’10Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God.11It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal.12The city had a huge, high wall with 12 gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, one at each of them. On the gates were written the names of the 12 tribes of Israel.13There were three gates on the east and three on the north. There were three gates on the south and three on the west.14The wall of the city had 12 foundations. Written on them were the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb.15The angel who talked with me had a gold measuring rod. He used it to measure the city, its gates and its walls.16The city was laid out like a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with the rod. It was 1,400 miles long. It was as wide and high as it was long.17The angel measured the wall as human beings measure things. It was 70 metres thick.18The wall was made out of jasper. The city was made out of pure gold, as pure as glass.19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was made out of jasper. The second was made out of sapphire. The third was made out of agate. The fourth was made out of emerald.20The fifth was made out of onyx. The sixth was made out of ruby. The seventh was made out of chrysolite. The eighth was made out of beryl. The ninth was made out of topaz. The tenth was made out of turquoise. The eleventh was made out of jacinth. The twelfth was made out of amethyst.21The 12 gates were made from 12 pearls. Each gate was made out of a single pearl. The main street of the city was made out of gold. It was gold as pure as glass that people can see through clearly.22I didn’t see a temple in the city. That’s because the Lamb and the Lord God who rules over all are its temple.23The city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it. God’s glory is its light, and the Lamb is its lamp.24The nations will walk by the light of the city. The kings of the world will bring their glory into it.25Its gates will never be shut, because there will be no night there.26The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it.27Only what is pure will enter the city. No one who causes people to believe lies will enter it. No one who does shameful things will enter it either. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the city.
9Тогава дойде един от седемте ангела, които бяха натоварени със седемте последни язви и държаха седемте чаши, и ми заговори: Ела, ще ти покажа невестата, жената на Агнеца. (Re 15:1; Re 15:6; Re 15:7; Re 19:7; Re 21:2)10И ме отведе чрез Духа на една голяма и висока планина и ми показа святия град, Йерусалим, който слизаше от небето, от Бога, (Re 1:10; Re 17:3; Re 21:2)11и имаше божествена слава като светеше, както свети някой много скъпоценен камък, като яспис, прозрачен като кристал. (Re 21:23; Re 22:5)12Градът имаше голяма и висока стена с дванадесет порти и на портите дванадесет ангела, и написани над портите имена, които са имената на дванадесетте племена на израилтяните: (Eze 48:31)13откъм изток три порти, откъм север три порти, откъм юг три порти и откъм запад три порти. (Eze 48:31)14И градската стена имаше дванадесет основни камъка с дванадесет имена на тях, имената на дванадесетте апостоли на Агнеца. (Mt 16:18; Ga 2:9; Eph 2:20)15И този, който говореше с мене, имаше за мярка златна тръстикова пръчка, за да измери града, портите и стената му. (Eze 40:3; Zec 2:1; Re 11:1)16Градът беше квадратен, с дължина, равна на широчината му; и като измери града с тръстиковата пръчка, излезе дванадесет хиляди стадии. Дължината, широчината и височината му са еднакви.17Измери и стената му, която излезе сто четиридесет и четири лакти; а това беше човешка мярка, употребена от ангела.18Стената му беше изградена от яспис, а самият град – от чисто злато, подобно на чисто стъкло.19Основните камъни на градските стени бяха украсени с всякакви скъпоценни камъни: първият основен камък беше яспис, вторият сапфир, третият халцедон, четвъртият смарагд, (Ex 28:17; Isa 54:11)20петият сардоникс, шестият сард, седмият хризолит, осмият берил, деветият топаз, десетият хризопрас, единадесетият хиацинт, дванадесетият аметист.21И дванадесетте порти бяха дванадесет бисера; всяка порта беше от един бисер; и улицата на града беше от чисто злато, прозрачно като стъкло. (Re 22:2)22А храм не видях в него, защото неговият храм е Господ Бог Всемогъщият и Агнецът. (Joh 4:23)23И градът нямаше нужда от слънце, нито от луна да го осветява, защото Божията слава го осветяваше и неговото светило е Агнецът. (Isa 24:23; Isa 60:19; Isa 60:20; Re 21:11; Re 22:5)24И народите ще ходят в неговата светлина и земните царе ще принасят в него своята слава. (Isa 60:3; Isa 60:5; Isa 60:11; Isa 66:12)25Портите му няма да се затварят денем (а нощ няма да има там); (Isa 60:11; Isa 60:20; Zec 14:7; Re 22:5)26и народите ще принасят в него слава и почест. (Re 21:24)27И в него няма да влезе нищо нечисто, нито онзи, който върши мерзост и който лъже, а само записаните в книгата на живота на Агнеца. (Isa 35:8; Isa 52:1; Isa 60:21; Joe 3:17; Php 4:3; Re 3:5; Re 13:8; Re 20:12; Re 22:14; Re 22:15)