Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24 (A)Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, (B)there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

As he sat on (C)the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him (D)privately, saying, “Tell us, (E)when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your (F)coming and of (G)the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, (H)“See that no one leads you astray. For (I)many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am (J)the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you (K)are not alarmed, for this (L)must take place, but the end is not yet. For (M)nation will rise against nation, and (N)kingdom against kingdom, and there will be (O)famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of (P)the birth pains.

“Then (Q)they will deliver you up (R)to tribulation and (S)put you to death, and (T)you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and (U)betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many (V)false prophets will arise (W)and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, (X)the love of many will grow cold. 13 (Y)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom (Z)will be proclaimed throughout the whole world (AA)as a testimony (AB)to all nations, and (AC)then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation (AD)spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in (AE)the holy place ((AF)let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 (AG)Let the one who is on (AH)the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And (AI)alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be (AJ)great tribulation, (AK)such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for (AL)the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 (AM)Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For (AN)false christs and (AO)false prophets will arise and (AP)perform great signs and wonders, (AQ)so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, (AR)I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, (AS)he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 (AT)For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be (AU)the coming of the Son of Man. 28 (AV)Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 “Immediately after (AW)the tribulation of those days (AX)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and (AY)the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then (AZ)will appear in heaven (BA)the sign of the Son of Man, and then (BB)all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and (BC)they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (BD)with power and great glory. 31 And (BE)he will send out his angels with a loud (BF)trumpet call, and they will (BG)gather (BH)his elect from (BI)the four winds, (BJ)from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, (BK)at the very gates. 34 (BL)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 (BM)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (BN)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36 “But concerning that day and hour (BO)no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, (BP)nor the Son,[b] (BQ)but the Father only. 37 (BR)For as were the days of Noah, (BS)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 (BT)For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, (BU)marrying and giving in marriage, until (BV)the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, (BW)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 (BX)Two women will be grinding (BY)at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, (BZ)stay awake, for you do not know on what day (CA)your Lord is coming. 43 (CB)But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night (CC)the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be (CD)ready, for (CE)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is (CF)the faithful and (CG)wise servant,[c] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 (CH)Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, (CI)he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master (CJ)is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants[d] and eats and drinks with (CK)drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come (CL)on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place (CM)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like (CN)ten virgins who took their lamps[e] and went to meet (CO)the bridegroom.[f] Five of them were foolish, and five were (CP)wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom (CQ)was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But (CR)at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and (CS)trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and (CT)those who were ready went in with him to (CU)the marriage feast, and (CV)the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, (CW)‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 (CX)But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, (CY)I do not know you.’ 13 (CZ)Watch therefore, for you (DA)know neither the day nor the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

14 (DB)“For (DC)it will be like a man (DD)going on a journey, who called his servants[g] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five (DE)talents,[h] to another two, to another one, (DF)to each according to his ability. Then he (DG)went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and (DH)dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now (DI)after a long time the master of those servants came and (DJ)settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (DK)faithful servant.[i] (DL)You have been faithful over a little; (DM)I will set you over much. Enter into (DN)the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be (DO)a hard man, reaping (DP)where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, (DQ)you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You (DR)wicked and (DS)slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 (DT)For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And (DU)cast (DV)the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place (DW)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Final Judgment

31 (DX)“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, (DY)then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him (DZ)will be gathered (EA)all the nations, and (EB)he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates (EC)the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then (ED)the King will say to (EE)those on his right, ‘Come, you (EF)who are blessed by my Father, (EG)inherit (EH)the kingdom (EI)prepared for you (EJ)from the foundation of the world. 35 For (EK)I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you (EL)gave me drink, (EM)I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 (EN)I was naked and you clothed me, (EO)I was sick and you (EP)visited me, (EQ)I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And (ER)the King will answer them, (ES)‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these (ET)my brothers,[j] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, (EU)‘Depart from me, you (EV)cursed, into (EW)the eternal fire prepared for (EX)the devil and his angels. 42 For (EY)I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, (EZ)you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away (FA)into eternal punishment, but the righteous (FB)into (FC)eternal life.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:10 Or stumble
  2. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts omit nor the Son
  3. Matthew 24:45 Or bondservant; also verses 46, 48, 50
  4. Matthew 24:49 Or bondservants
  5. Matthew 25:1 Or torches
  6. Matthew 25:1 Some manuscripts add and the bride
  7. Matthew 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19
  8. Matthew 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer
  9. Matthew 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30
  10. Matthew 25:40 Or brothers and sisters

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(A)

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another;(B) every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives,(C) the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming(D) and of the end of the age?”(E)

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.(F) For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.(G) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.(H) There will be famines(I) and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted(J) and put to death,(K) and you will be hated by all nations because of me.(L) 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets(M) will appear and deceive many people.(N) 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(O) 14 And this gospel of the kingdom(P) will be preached in the whole world(Q) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place(R) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a](S) spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop(T) go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!(U) 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.(V)

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect(W) those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.(X) 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders(Y) to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning(Z) that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming(AA) of the Son of Man.(AB) 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.(AC)

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[b](AD)

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn(AE) when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven,(AF) with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels(AG) with a loud trumpet call,(AH) and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door.(AI) 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(AJ) 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(AK)

The Day and Hour Unknown(AL)(AM)

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father.(AN) 37 As it was in the days of Noah,(AO) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,(AP) up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.(AQ) 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.(AR) 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.(AS)

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.(AT) 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,(AU) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready,(AV) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,(AW) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.(AX) 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.(AY) 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.(AZ) 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(BA)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like(BB) ten virgins who took their lamps(BC) and went out to meet the bridegroom.(BD) Five of them were foolish and five were wise.(BE) The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.(BF)

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’(BG)

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.(BH) And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’(BI)

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.(BJ)

The Parable of the Bags of Gold(BK)

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,(BL) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[g] each according to his ability.(BM) Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.(BN) 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.(BO) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.(BP) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(BQ) 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’(BR)

The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes(BS) in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.(BT) 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate(BU) the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.(BV) 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom(BW) prepared for you since the creation of the world.(BX) 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,(BY) 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me,(BZ) I was sick and you looked after me,(CA) I was in prison and you came to visit me.’(CB)

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’(CC)

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,(CD) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire(CE) prepared for the devil and his angels.(CF) 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’(CG)

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.(CH)(CI)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:15 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
  2. Matthew 24:29 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
  3. Matthew 24:30 Or the tribes of the land
  4. Matthew 24:30 See Daniel 7:13-14.
  5. Matthew 24:33 Or he
  6. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son.
  7. Matthew 25:15 Greek five talents … two talents … one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

13 (A)And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? (B)There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

And as he sat on (C)the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, (D)Peter and James and John and (E)Andrew asked him (F)privately, “Tell us, (G)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, (H)“See that no one leads you astray. (I)Many will come in my name, saying, (J)‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, (K)do not be alarmed. This (L)must take place, but the end is not yet. For (M)nation will rise against nation, and (N)kingdom against kingdom. There will be (O)earthquakes in various places; there will be (P)famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

(Q)“But (R)be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten (S)in synagogues, and you will stand before (T)governors and (U)kings for my sake, (V)to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed (W)to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, (X)do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say (Y)whatever is given you in that hour, (Z)for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 (AA)And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 (AB)And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. (AC)But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation

14 “But when you see (AD)the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be ((AE)let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 (AF)Let the one who is on (AG)the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And (AH)alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be (AI)such (AJ)tribulation as has not been (AK)from the beginning of the creation that (AL)God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for (AM)the sake of the elect, whom (AN)he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And (AO)then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 (AP)For false christs and false prophets will arise and (AQ)perform signs and wonders, (AR)to lead astray, if possible, (AS)the elect. 23 But (AT)be on guard; (AU)I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 “But in those days, after (AV)that tribulation, (AW)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and (AX)the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see (AY)the Son of Man coming in clouds (AZ)with great power and glory. 27 And then (BA)he will send out the angels and (BB)gather (BC)his elect from (BD)the four winds, from (BE)the ends of the earth (BF)to the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, (BG)at the very gates. 30 (BH)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 (BI)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (BJ)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day or Hour

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, (BK)no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, (BL)nor the Son, (BM)but only the Father. 33 (BN)Be on guard, (BO)keep awake.[a] For you do not know when the time will come. 34 (BP)It is like a man (BQ)going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants[b] in charge, (BR)each with his work, and commands (BS)the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 (BT)Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, (BU)in the evening, or (BV)at midnight, or (BW)when the rooster crows,[c] or (BX)in the morning— 36 lest (BY)he come suddenly and (BZ)find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: (CA)Stay awake.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts add and pray
  2. Mark 13:34 Or bondservants
  3. Mark 13:35 That is, the third watch of the night, between midnight and 3 a.m.

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(A)

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”(B)

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives(C) opposite the temple, Peter, James, John(D) and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.(E) Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.(F) On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.(G)

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.(H) 13 Everyone will hate you because of me,(I) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(J)

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a](K) standing where it[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!(L) 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world,(M) until now—and never to be equaled again.(N)

20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.(O) 22 For false messiahs and false prophets(P) will appear and perform signs and wonders(Q) to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard;(R) I have told you everything ahead of time.

24 “But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[c](S)

26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds(T) with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.(U)

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation(V) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(W) 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(X)

The Day and Hour Unknown

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.(Y) 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]!(Z) You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants(AA) in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:14 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
  2. Mark 13:14 Or he
  3. Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
  4. Mark 13:29 Or he
  5. Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts alert and pray

The Widow's Offering

21 (A)Jesus[a] looked up and saw the rich (B)putting their gifts into (C)the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two (D)small copper coins.[b] And he said, “Truly, I tell you, (E)this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her (F)poverty put in all (G)she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

(H)And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things that you see, (I)the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, (J)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, (K)“See that you are not led astray. For (L)many will come in my name, saying, (M)‘I am he!’ and, (N)‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be (O)terrified, for these things (P)must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10 Then he said to them, (Q)“Nation will rise against nation, and (R)kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great (S)earthquakes, and in various places (T)famines and pestilences. And there will be (U)terrors and great (V)signs from heaven. 12 But before all this (W)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to (X)the synagogues and (Y)prisons, and you (Z)will be brought before (AA)kings and (AB)governors for my name's sake. 13 (AC)This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds (AD)not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for (AE)I will give you a mouth and (AF)wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or (AG)contradict. 16 You will be delivered up (AH)even by parents and brothers[c] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 (AI)You will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But (AJ)not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your (AK)endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

20 “But (AL)when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that (AM)its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are (AN)days of (AO)vengeance, to fulfill (AP)all that is written. 23 (AQ)Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and (AR)wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and (AS)be led captive among all nations, and (AT)Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, (AU)until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “And (AV)there will be signs in sun and moon (AW)and stars, and on the earth (AX)distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For (AY)the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see (AZ)the Son of Man coming in a cloud (BA)with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and (BB)raise your heads, because (BC)your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see (BD)for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 (BE)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 (BF)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (BG)my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34 “But watch yourselves (BH)lest (BI)your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and (BJ)cares of this life, and (BK)that day come upon you suddenly (BL)like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But (BM)stay awake at all times, (BN)praying that you may (BO)have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and (BP)to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 And (BQ)every day he was teaching in the temple, but (BR)at night he went out and lodged on (BS)the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning (BT)all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 21:1 Greek He
  2. Luke 21:2 Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
  3. Luke 21:16 Or parents and brothers and sisters

The Widow’s Offering(A)

21 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.(B) He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”(C)

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(D)(E)

Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another;(F) every one of them will be thrown down.”

“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.(G) When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”

10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.(H) 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.(I)

12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me.(J) 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.(K) 15 For I will give you(L) words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends,(M) and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me.(N) 18 But not a hair of your head will perish.(O) 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.(P)

20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies,(Q) you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.(R) 22 For this is the time of punishment(S) in fulfillment(T) of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled(U) on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.(V) 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.(W) 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man(X) coming in a cloud(Y) with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”(Z)

29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God(AA) is near.

32 “Truly I tell you, this generation(AB) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(AC)

34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life,(AD) and that day will close on you suddenly(AE) like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray(AF) that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple,(AG) and each evening he went out(AH) to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives,(AI) 38 and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.(AJ)