REV 21:1-8

A New Heaven and a New Earth

1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with humanity, and he will tabernacle among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them —

4and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will there be mourning nor wailing nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

5And the one seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And he said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."

6And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.

7The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

8But to the cowardly and the faithless and the detestable and murderers and the sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

In the world it was spoken into

In the first-century Mediterranean world, the imagery of a new heaven and a new earth would resonate deeply with Jewish apocalyptic expectations, particularly those shaped by Isaiah 65-66. The promise of a renewed creation, free from the corruption and suffering of the present age, offered hope to communities enduring Roman oppression and societal instability. The disappearance of the sea, often symbolic of chaos and danger in Jewish thought, underscores the complete restoration of order and peace. The depiction of the New Jerusalem as a bride adorned for her husband draws on Jewish covenantal imagery, evoking the intimate relationship between God and His people. The declaration that God will 'tabernacle' with humanity recalls the wilderness tabernacle, emphasizing God’s enduring presence among His people. The list of those excluded—cowardly, faithless, and others—reflects the honor-shame culture of the time, where moral failure carried severe social consequences. This vision would have reassured persecuted believers of God’s ultimate victory and justice.

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How other translations render this

REV 21:1

KJV: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
BSB: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Koinōnos: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

REV 21:2

KJV: And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
BSB: I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Koinōnos: And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

REV 21:3

KJV: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
BSB: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
Koinōnos: And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with humanity, and he will tabernacle among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them —

REV 21:4

KJV: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
BSB: ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Koinōnos: and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will there be mourning nor wailing nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

REV 21:5

KJV: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
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.”
Koinōnos: And the one seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And he said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true.

REV 21:6

KJV: And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
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.
Koinōnos: And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.

REV 21:7

KJV: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
BSB: The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.
Koinōnos: The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

REV 21:8

KJV: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
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.”
Koinōnos: But to the cowardly and the faithless and the detestable and murderers and the sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

REV 21:1

new:The word translated 'new' here refers to something fresh, unprecedented, and superior in quality, rather than simply new in terms of age or recent origin.

REV 21:3

tabernacle:The term translated 'tabernacle' refers to a tent or dwelling, often temporary, and in a religious context, it evokes the portable sanctuary where God's presence dwelt among Israel.

REV 21:4

mourning:The word translated 'mourning' specifically denotes a loud cry or wailing, often associated with intense grief or distress, rather than a quiet sadness.

REV 21:8

to [the] cowardly:The word translated 'cowardly' describes someone who is timid or fearful, often implying a lack of courage in the face of danger or moral challenge, leading to failure.