Good News Bible

Revelation 21:5-16 Good News Bible (GNB)

5. Then the one who sits on the throne said, “And now I make all things new!” He also said to me, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.”

6. And he said, “It is done! I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it.

7. Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8. But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practise magic, those who worship idols, and all liars — the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

9. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, “Come, and I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10. The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God

11. and shining with the glory of God. The city shone like a precious stone, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

12. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels in charge of the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel.

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

14. The city's wall was built on twelve foundation stones, on which were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15. The angel who spoke to me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16. The city was perfectly square, as wide as it was long. The angel measured the city with his measuring rod: it was 2,400 kilometres long and was as wide and as high as it was long.