1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the city's street. On each side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, and it bears its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, 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 more night; they will have no need for the light of a lamp or sunlight because the Lord God will shine on them. They will reign forever and ever. 6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.” 7 “Look! I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who obeys the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing me these things. 9 He said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you, with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. Worship God!” 10 He said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 The one who is unrighteous, let him continue to do unrighteousness. The one who is morally filthy, let him continue to be morally filthy. The one who is righteous, let him continue to do what is righteous. The one who is holy, let him continue to be holy.” 12 “Look! I am coming soon. My reward is with me, to pay back each one according to what he has done. 13 I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they will have the right to eat from the tree of life and to enter the city through the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever desires it, let him freely have the water of life. 18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written about in this book. 19 If anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are written about in this book. 20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes! I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone. Amen.
Revelation · Unlocked Literal Bible
Revelation 22 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Revelation 7:17; John 4:14; John 7:38–39; Psalm 36:8–9; John 4:10–11
- 2 Revelation 22:1; 1 Peter 2:24; Revelation 2:7; Ezekiel 47:8–12; Genesis 2:9
- 3 Matthew 25:21; Revelation 21:3–4; John 12:26; Revelation 7:15–17; John 14:3
- 4 Matthew 5:8; Revelation 14:1; Revelation 3:12; 1 John 3:2–3; 1 Corinthians 13:12
- 5 Isaiah 60:19–20; Daniel 7:18; Revelation 20:4; Daniel 7:27; 1 Peter 1:3–4
- 6 Revelation 1:1; Revelation 21:5; Revelation 19:9; Romans 1:2; Acts 3:18
- 7 Revelation 1:3; Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:20; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:9–10
- 8 Revelation 19:10; Revelation 1:1
- 9 Revelation 19:10; Colossians 2:18–19; Revelation 14:7; 1 John 5:20; Revelation 4:10
- 10 Daniel 8:26; Revelation 1:3; 1 Peter 4:7; Revelation 10:4; Matthew 10:27
- 11 Daniel 12:10; Proverbs 4:18; Ezekiel 3:27; 2 Timothy 3:13; Matthew 15:14
- 12 Matthew 16:27; Isaiah 62:11; Isaiah 40:10; 1 Corinthians 3:14; Revelation 22:7
- 13 Revelation 1:8; Revelation 21:6; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 48:12; Revelation 1:17
- 14 Revelation 21:27; 1 John 5:3; 1 John 3:23–24; Revelation 22:7; 1 John 3:3
- 15 Revelation 21:8; Galatians 5:19–21; Philippians 3:2; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Revelation 21:27
- 16 Revelation 5:5; 2 Peter 1:19; Isaiah 11:1; Romans 1:3–4; Revelation 1:4
- 17 John 4:14; Revelation 21:6; Isaiah 55:1–3; John 7:37; Isaiah 12:3
- 18 Deuteronomy 12:32; Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 1:3; Revelation 22:7
- 19 Deuteronomy 4:2; Luke 11:52; Revelation 22:2; Psalm 69:28; Revelation 1:3
- 20 Revelation 22:7; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 22:12; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Corinthians 16:22
- 21 2 Thessalonians 3:18; Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 6:23–24; Revelation 1:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And thus He forewarns us: "Behold, the Lord [cometh], and His reward is before His face, to render to every man according to his work." He exhorts us, therefore, with our whole heart to attend to this, that we be not lazy or slothful in any good work.
… easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life. For she is the entrance to life; all others are thieves and robbers.
But said the angel, "Rise; see thou do it not: worship God, for I am thy fellow-servant, and the brethren's." An angel, then, forbade a man to fall down at his feet.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
He says, "be consummated," be completed, according to that in the Apocalypse, "Let the righteous become more righteous, and let the filthy be filthy still." For the wickedness of those men appears consummate, who crucified the Son of God; but greater is theirs who will not live uprightly, and hate the precepts of truth, for whom the Son of God …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)