< Mark 13 >
1 Then as He was going out from the temple, one of His disciples said to Him: “Teacher, just look! Such stones, such buildings!”
2 In answer Jesus said to him: “Do you see these great buildings? Here not a single stone will be left upon another; each one will be thrown down.”
3 Then as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately:
4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign whenever all these things are about to be fulfilled?”
5 So by way of an answer to them Jesus began by saying: “Take care that no one deceives you.
6 Because many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many.
7 But whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not let it distress you; because happen they must, but the end is not yet.
8 Because nation will be raised against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and tumults. These things are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “But watch out for yourselves, because they will deliver you up to councils and flog you in synagogues, and you will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them.
10 Also, the Gospel must first be proclaimed to all the ethnic nations.
11 Now whenever they lead you away and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand nor premeditate what you will say; rather, whatever is given to you in that hour, speak that, because it will not be you doing the speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 “Further, brother will betray brother to death and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake, yet he who endures to the end, he will be saved.
14 “Now whenever you see the ‘abomination of desolation’, the one spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where he should not”—let the reader understand—“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.
16 Let him who is in the field not return to his things to get his cloak.
17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
18 And pray that your flight not take place in winter,
19 because those will be days of affliction such as there has not been the like from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never again shall be.
20 If the Lord did not cut those days short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He did shorten the days.
21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ ‘Look, there!’ do not believe it;
22 because false christs and false prophets will be raised up, and they will show signs and wonders so as to even mislead the elect, if that were possible.
23 So you watch out! See, I have told you everything in advance.
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars of heaven will be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.’
26 And then they will see the Son of the Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then He will send His angels and gather together His elect from the four winds, from earth's extreme point to heaven's extreme point.
28 “Now learn this example from the fig tree: whenever its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, one knows that the summer is near.
29 Even so you also, whenever you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!
30 Assuredly I tell you that this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things happen.
31 The heaven and the earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.
32 “Now concerning that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels who are in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.
33 Watch! Keep alert! Pray! Because you do not know when that time will be.
34 It is like a man off on a journey, having left his house and given the authority to his slaves, and to each his work; and he commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.
35 Therefore be watchful, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming—at evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or early morning—
36 lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 The things I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
