²⁷ Just as people are destined to die once,^(A) and after that to face judgment,^{(B) 28} so Christ was sacrificed once^(C) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(D) not to bear sin,^(E) but to bring salvation^(F) to those who are waiting for him.^(G)

⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming^(A) is near.^(B)

⁷ By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,^(A) being kept for the day of judgment^(B) and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.^{(C) 9} The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,^(D) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient^(E) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.^(F)

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.^(G) The heavens will disappear with a roar;^(H) the elements will be destroyed by fire,^(I) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a](J)

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward^(K) to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b](L) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.^{(M) 13} But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,^(N) where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless^(O) and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(P) means salvation,^(Q) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^{(R) 16} He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable^(S) people distort,^(T) as they do the other Scriptures,^(U) to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard^(V) so that you may not be carried away by the error^(W) of the lawless^(X) and fall from your secure position.^{(Y) 18} But grow in the grace^(Z) and knowledge^(AA) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(AB) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.^(AC)

God’s Children and Sin

²⁸ And now, dear children,^(A) continue in him, so that when he appears^(B) we may be confident^(C) and unashamed before him at his coming.^(D)

² Dear friends,^(A) now we are children of God,^(B) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](C) we shall be like him,^(D) for we shall see him as he is.^(E)

¹⁴ Enoch,^(A) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming^(B) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones^(C)

¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead,^(A) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!^(B) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.^(C)

The Thousand Years

20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,^(A) having the key^(B) to the Abyss^(C) and holding in his hand a great chain. ² He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,^(D) and bound him for a thousand years.^{(E) 3} He threw him into the Abyss,^(F) and locked and sealed^(G) it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations^(H) anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

⁴ I saw thrones^(I) on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.^(J) And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded^(K) because of their testimony about Jesus^(L) and because of the word of God.^(M) They^[a] had not worshiped the beast^(N) or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.^(O) They came to life and reigned^(P) with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.^{(Q) 6} Blessed^(R) and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death^(S) has no power over them, but they will be priests^(T) of God and of Christ and will reign with him^(U) for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

⁷ When the thousand years are over,^(V) Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations^(W) in the four corners of the earth^(X)—Gog and Magog^(Y)—and to gather them for battle.^(Z) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.^{(AA) 9} They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded^(AB) the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.^(AC) But fire came down from heaven^(AD) and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them,^(AE) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,^(AF) where the beast^(AG) and the false prophet^(AH) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.^(AI)

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne^(AJ) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(AK) and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(AL) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(AM) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(AN) The dead were judged^(AO) according to what they had done^(AP) as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(AQ) gave up the dead^(AR) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^{(AS) 14} Then death^(AT) and Hades^(AU) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(AV) The lake of fire is the second death.^{(AW) 15} Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(AX) was thrown into the lake of fire.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[b](AY) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,^(AZ) and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City,^(BA) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,^(BB) prepared as a bride^(BC) beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.^(BD) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.^{(BE) 4} ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.^(BF) There will be no more death’^[c](BG) or mourning or crying or pain,^(BH) for the old order of things has passed away.”^(BI)

⁵ He who was seated on the throne^(BJ) said, “I am making everything new!”^(BK) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”^(BL)

⁶ He said to me: “It is done.^(BM) I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(BN) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost^(BO) from the spring of the water of life.^{(BP) 7} Those who are victorious^(BQ) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.^{(BR) 8} But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars^(BS)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.^(BT) This is the second death.”^(BU)

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues^(BV) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,^(BW) the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away^(BX) in the Spirit^(BY) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.^{(BZ) 11} It shone with the glory of God,^(CA) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,^(CB) clear as crystal.^{(CC) 12} It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,^(CD) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(CE) 13} There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations,^(CF) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles^(CG) of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod^(CH) of gold to measure the city, its gates^(CI) and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia^[d] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall using human^(CJ) measurement, and it was 144 cubits^[e] thick.^{[f] 18} The wall was made of jasper,^(CK) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.^{(CL) 19} The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.^(CM) The first foundation was jasper,^(CN) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,^(CO) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^{[g] 21} The twelve gates^(CP) were twelve pearls,^(CQ) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.^(CR)

²² I did not see a temple^(CS) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty^(CT) and the Lamb^(CU) are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God^(CV) gives it light,^(CW) and the Lamb^(CX) is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.^{(CY) 25} On no day will its gates^(CZ) ever be shut,^(DA) for there will be no night there.^{(DB) 26} The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.^{(DC) 27} Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,^(DD) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.^(DE)

Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river^(DF) of the water of life,^(DG) as clear as crystal,^(DH) flowing^(DI) from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,^(DJ) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.^{(DK) 3} No longer will there be any curse.^(DL) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.^{(DM) 4} They will see his face,^(DN) and his name will be on their foreheads.^{(DO) 5} There will be no more night.^(DP) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.^(DQ) And they will reign for ever and ever.^(DR)

John and the Angel

⁶ The angel said to me,^(DS) “These words are trustworthy and true.^(DT) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,^(DU) sent his angel^(DV) to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon!^(DW) Blessed^(DX) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”^(DY)

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.^(DZ) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet^(EA) of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.^(EB) Worship God!”^(EC)

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up^(ED) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,^(EE) because the time is near.^{(EF) 11} Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”^(EG)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(EH) My reward is with me,^(EI) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(EJ) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(EK) the First and the Last,^(EL) the Beginning and the End.^(EM)