The New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw ^(A)a new heaven and a new earth, for ^(B)the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw ^(C)the holy city, ^(D)new Jerusalem, ^(E)coming down out of heaven from God, ^(F)prepared ^(G)as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, ^(H)the dwelling place^[a] of God is with man. He will ^(I)dwell with them, and they will be his people,^[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.^{[c] 4 (J)}He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and ^(K)death shall be no more, ^(L)neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

⁵ And ^(M)he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I ^(N)am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for ^(O)these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he said to me, ^(P)“It is done! ^(Q)I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. ^(R)To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. ^7 (S)The one who conquers will have this heritage, and ^(T)I will be his God and ^(U)he will be my son. ^8 (V)But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, ^(W)their portion will be in ^(X)the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is ^(Y)the second death.”

Future Glory

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time ^(A)are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for ^(B)the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation ^(C)was subjected to futility, not willingly, but ^(D)because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that ^(E)the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that ^(F)the whole creation ^(G)has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have ^(H)the firstfruits of the Spirit, ^(I)groan inwardly as ^(J)we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, ^(K)the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For ^(L)in this hope we were saved. Now ^(M)hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we ^(N)wait for it with patience.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For ^(O)we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but ^(P)the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And ^(Q)he who searches hearts knows what is ^(R)the mind of the Spirit, because^[a] the Spirit ^(S)intercedes for the saints ^(T)according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together ^(U)for good,^[b] for ^(V)those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he ^(W)foreknew he also ^(X)predestined ^(Y)to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be ^(Z)the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also ^(AA)justified, and those whom he justified he also ^(AB)glorified.

God's Everlasting Love

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? ^(AC)If God is for us, who can be^[c] against us? ^32 (AD)He who did not spare his own Son but ^(AE)gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? ^(AF)It is God who justifies. ^34 (AG)Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—^(AH)who is at the right hand of God, ^(AI)who indeed is interceding for us.^{[d] 35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than ^(AL)conquerors through ^(AM)him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.