< Matthew 24 >
1 As Jesus walked out of the temple, his disciples came, and caused him to observe the buildings of it.
2 Jesus said to them, All this you see; indeed I say to you, one stone shall not be left here upon another. All shall be razed.
3 As he sat upon the Mount of Olives his disciples addressed him privately, saying, Tell us, when will this happen; and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the conclusion of this state? (aiōn )
4 Jesus answering, said to them, Take heed that no man seduce you:
5 for many will assume my character, saying, I am the Messiah, and will seduce many.
6 Nay, you shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; but take care that you be not alarmed: for all these things must happen; but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will arise against nation; and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in sundry places.
8 Yet these are but the prelude of woes.
9 For they will deliver you to torments and to death, and you shall be hated by all nations on my account.
10 Then many will be ensnared, and will betray their fellows, and hate them.
11 And many false prophets will arise, who will seduce many.
12 And because vice will abound, the love of the greater number will cool.
13 But the man who perseveres to the end shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the Reign shall be published through all the world, for the information of all nations. And then shall come the end.
15 When, therefore, you shall see, on holy ground, the desolating abomination foretold by the Prophet Daniel, (reader, attend!)
16 then let those in Judea flee to the mountains:
17 let not him, who shall be upon the housetop, come down to carry things out of his house;
18 and let not him, who shall be in the field, return to take his mantle.
19 But alas for the women with child, and for them that give suck in those days!
20 Pray, therefore, that your flight happen not in the winter, nor on a Sabbath;
21 because there shall be then so great tribulation, as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor shall be ever after.
22 For, if the time were protracted, no soul could survive; but for the sake of the elect, the time will be short.
23 If any man shall say to you then, Lo! the Messiah is here, or he is there, believe it not:
24 for false Messiahs and false prophets will arise, who will perform great wonders and prodigies, so as to seduce, if possible, the elect themselves.
25 Remember, I have warned you.
26 Wherefore, if they say, He is in the desert, go not out. He is in the closet, believe it not.
27 For the coming of the Son of Man shall be like lightning, which breaking forth from the east, shines even to the west.
28 For wheresoever the carcass is, the eagles will be gathered together.
29 Immediately after those days of affliction, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall withhold her light; and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the heavenly powers shall be shaken.
30 Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and all the tribes of the land shall mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with great majesty and power.
31 And he will send his messengers with a loud sounding trumpet, who shall assemble his elect from the four quarters of the earth, from one extremity of the world to the other.
32 Learn now a similitude from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and put forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh.
33 In like manner, when you shall see all these things, know that he is near, even at the door.
34 Indeed, I say to you, this race shall not pass, until all these things happen.
35 Heaven and earth shall fail; but my words shall never fail.
36 But of that day, and that hour, know none, but the Father; no, not the angels.
37 Now that which happened in Noah's time, will also happen at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in the days before the flood, even to that day that Noah entered the ark, they were eating and drinking, and marrying,
39 and suspected nothing, until the flood came and swept them all away: so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two men shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
42 Watch, therefore, since you know not at what hour your master will come.
43 You are sure, that if the householder knew at what time of the night the thief would come, he would watch, and not suffer him to break into his house.
44 Be you, therefore, always prepared; because the Son of Man will come at an hour, when you are not expecting him.
45 Who, now, is the discreet and faithful servant, whom his master has set over his household, to dispense to them regularly their allowance?
46 Happy that servant, if his master, at his return, find him so employed.
47 Indeed, I say to you, he will intrust him with the management of all his estate.
48 But as to the vicious servant, who shall say within himself, My master defers his return,
49 and shall beat his fellow-servants, and feast and carouse with drunkards;
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not expecting him, and at an hour of which he is not apprised,
51 and having discarded him, will assign him his portion among the perfidious. Weeping and gnashing of teeth shall be there.
