Revelation 22
Worldwide English (New Testament)
22 Then the angel showed me a river of the water which gives life. It was as clear as glass. It flows from the throne of God and the Lamb.
2 It flows through the middle of the street of the city. On each side of the river is the tree which gives life. It has twelve kinds of fruit, and it bears its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree could heal the people of all nations.
3 Nothing that God hates will be in the city any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there. And his servants will serve him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5 There will be no night there. They do not need the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun. The Lord God will give them light. They will rule for ever and ever.
6 Then the angel said to me, `These words can be trusted. They are true. The Lord God who gave his Spirit to the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.'
7 `Look! I will come soon!' God will bless the person who obeys the words in this book.
8 I, John, heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them I kneeled down to worship in front of the angel who showed them to me.
9 But He said to me, `You must not do that. I am only a servant like you and your brothers, the prophets, and those who obey the words of this book. Worship God.'
10 The angel said to me, `Do not keep secret the words of God's message in this book. The time is near.
11 Let the bad man keep on doing wrong things. Let the person who does dirty things, keep on being dirty. Let the good person keep on doing what is good. Let the holy person keep on being holy.'
12 `Look, I will come soon! When I come, I will pay every man for what he has done.
13 I am the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End.'
14 God will bless the people who do what he says and keep themselves pure and clean. They can eat fruit from the tree that gives life. And they can go through the doors into the city.
15 Outside the city are the dirty people, and the witch-doctors, and those with wrong ways of using sex, those who kill people, those who worship idols, and all those who like lies and tell them.
16 `I, Jesus, have sent my angel to tell these things to you in the churches. I am the root and the branch of David. I am the bright star in the morning.'
17 The Spirit and the Lamb's wife say, `Come.' He who hears should say, `Come.' He who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wishes should drink the water that gives life. It costs no money.
18 I am talking to everyone who hears the words of God's message in this book. If any one adds anything to this book, God will add to him the troubles that are written in this book.
19 If any one takes away any of the words of God's message, God will take away from him his share of the tree which gives life and the holy city. This book tells about them.
20 He who shows these things says, `Yes, I will come soon.' Amen, Lord Jesus, come!
21 May the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus bless you all. Amen.
Revelation 22
New King James Version
The River of Life
22 And he showed me (A)a [a]pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 (B)In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was (C)the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were (D)for the healing of the nations. 3 And (E)there shall be no more curse, (F)but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His (G)servants shall serve Him. 4 (H)They shall see His face, and (I)His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 (J)There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor (K)light of the sun, for (L)the Lord God gives them light. (M)And they shall reign forever and ever.
The Time Is Near
6 Then he said to me, (N)“These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the [b]holy prophets (O)sent His angel to show His servants the things which must (P)shortly take place.
7 (Q)“Behold, I am coming quickly! (R)Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 Now I, John, [c]saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, (S)I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
9 Then he said to me, (T)“See that you do not do that. [d]For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 (U)And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, (V)for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him [e]be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
Jesus Testifies to the Churches
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and (W)My reward is with Me, (X)to give to every one according to his work. 13 (Y)I am the Alpha and the Omega, the [f]Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
14 (Z)Blessed are those who [g]do His commandments, that they may have the right (AA)to the tree of life, (AB)and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 [h]But (AC)outside are (AD)dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
16 (AE)“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. (AF)I am the Root and the Offspring of David, (AG)the Bright and Morning Star.”
17 And the Spirit and (AH)the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” (AI)And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
A Warning
18 [i]For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: (AJ)If anyone adds to these things, [j]God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, (AK)God[k] shall take away his part from the [l]Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
I Am Coming Quickly
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be [m]with you all. Amen.
Footnotes
- Revelation 22:1 NU, M omit pure
- Revelation 22:6 NU, M spirits of the prophets
- Revelation 22:8 NU, M am the one who heard and saw
- Revelation 22:9 NU, M omit For
- Revelation 22:11 NU, M do right
- Revelation 22:13 NU, M First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
- Revelation 22:14 NU wash their robes,
- Revelation 22:15 NU, M omit But
- Revelation 22:18 NU, M omit For
- Revelation 22:18 M may God add
- Revelation 22:19 M may God take away
- Revelation 22:19 NU, M tree of life
- Revelation 22:21 NU with all; M with all the saints
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
