Mark 13
1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith to him, Teacher, see! what stones, and what buildings!
While Jesus was leaving the Temple [area], one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at how marvelous [these] huge stones [in the walls are] and how wonderful [these] buildings [are]!”
2 And Jesus said to him, Seest thou these great buildings? There will not be left one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.
Jesus said to him, “[Yes], these buildings that you are looking [at] [RHQ] [are wonderful], but I [want to tell you something about] them. They will [soon] be destroyed {[Foreign invaders] will destroy [them]} [completely, with the result that] no stone here [in this Temple area] will be left on top of another stone.”
3 And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
After they arrived on Olive [Tree] Hill across [the valley] from the Temple, Jesus sat down. When Peter, James, John, and Andrew were alone with him, they asked him,
4 Tell us, when will these things be? and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?
“Tell us, when will [that] happen [to the buildings of the Temple? Tell us what will happen that will show us that all these things that God has planned] are about to be finished {that [God] is about to finish all these things [that he has planned]}.”
5 And Jesus began to say to them, See that no one deceive you.
Jesus replied to them, “[I cannot give you a simple answer to your questions. All I will say is], beware that no one deceives you [concerning what will happen]!
6 Many will come in my name, saying, I am He; and will deceive many.
Many people will come and say (that I sent them/that they have my authority) [MTY]. They will say, ‘I am [the Messiah]!’ They will deceive many people.
7 And when ye hear of wars, and rumors of wars, be not troubled; they must come to pass; but not yet is the end.
Whenever people tell you about wars [that are close] or wars that are far away, do not be troubled. [God has said] that those things must happen. [But when they do happen, do not think] that [God] will finish all [that he has planned] at that time!
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in divers places; there will be famines. These things are the beginning of travail-pains.
[Groups who live in various] countries will fight each other, and various governments will fight each other. There will also be [big] earthquakes in various places; and there will be famines. Yet, [when these things happen, people will have only just begun to suffer. The first things that they suffer will be like] the first pains a woman [suffers] who is about to bear a child. [They will suffer much more after that].
9 But do ye take heed to yourselves; they will deliver you up to councils, and ye will be taken into synagogues and beaten; and ye will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them.
Be ready for [what people will do to you at that time]. Because [you believe in] me, they will arrest you and put you on trial before the religious councils. (In the synagogues/In the Jewish meeting places), you will be beaten {others will beat you}. You will be put {[People will put] you} [on trial] in the presence of high government authorities. As a result, you will be able to tell them [about me].
10 And the glad tidings must first be published to all the nations.
My good message must be proclaimed {[You] must proclaim my good message} to [people in] all people-groups before [God finishes all that he has planned].
11 And when they lead you away to deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand as to what ye shall speak; but whatever shall be given you in that hour, that speak; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.
And when people arrest you in order to prosecute you [because you believe in me], do not worry before that happens about what you will say. Instead, say what [God] puts into your mind at that time. Then it will not be [just] you who will be speaking. It will be the Holy Spirit [who will be speaking through you].
12 And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and put them to death.
[Other evil things will happen]: People [who do not believe in me] will (betray/help others seize) their brothers [and sisters] in order that [the government] can execute them. Parents [will betray] their children, and children will betray their parents so that [the government] will kill their parents.
13 And ye will be hated by all on account of my name. But he that endureth to the end will be saved.
[In general], you will be hated by most [HYP] people {most [HYP] people will hate you} because [you believe in] me. But all you who continue [to trust in me strongly] until your life is finished will be saved {[God] will save all you who continue [to trust in me strongly] until your life ends}.
14 But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not, —let him that readeth understand, —then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains;
[During that time] the disgusting [thing/person that the prophet Daniel described] will enter the Temple. It/He will defile [the Temple when he enters it and will cause people to abandon it. When you see it/him standing there] where it/he should not be, [you should run away quickly] (May everyone who is reading this pay attention to [this warning from Jesus]!) [At that time] those people who are in Judea [district] must flee to [higher] hills.
15 let not him that is on the house-top go down, nor enter, to take anything out of his house;
Those people who are outside their houses must not enter their houses in order to get anything [before they run away].
16 and let not him that is in the field turn back to take his garment.
Those who are [working] in a field must not return [to their houses] in order to get [additional] clothes [before they flee].
17 And woe to the women with child, and to those with children at the breast, in those days!
But I feel very sorry for women who will be pregnant and women who will be nursing their babies in those days, [because it will be very difficult for them to run away]
18 And pray that it may not be in winter.
In those days people will suffer very severely. People have never suffered like that since the time when God first created the world until now; and people will not [suffer that way] again. [So] pray that [this painful time] will not happen in (winter/the rainy season), [when it will be hard to travel].
19 For those days will be a time of distress, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, nor shall be.
20 And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen whom he chose, he shortened the days.
If the Lord [God] had not [decided that he would] shorten that time [when people suffer so much], everyone would die. But he has [decided to] shorten that time because [he is concerned about you] people whom he has chosen [DOU].
21 And then if any one shall say to you, See! here is the Christ; see! there; believe him not.
[At that time people who will] falsely [say that they are] Messiahs and prophets will appear. Then they will perform many kinds (of miracles/of things that ordinary people cannot do) [DOU]. They will even try to deceive [you] people whom God has chosen, [but they will not] be able to do that. So at that time if someone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or [if someone says], ‘Look, he is over there!’ do not believe it!
22 For false Christs and false prophets will rise up, and will do signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the chosen.
23 But do ye take heed! I have told you all beforehand.
Be alert! Remember that [I] have warned you about all this before [it happens.]
24 But in those days, after that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light;
After the time when people suffer like that, the sun will become dark, the moon will not shine,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.
the stars will fall from the sky, and all things in the sky will be shaken {[God will cause] all things in the sky to shake}.
26 And then will they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
Then people will see [me], the one who came from heaven, coming through the clouds powerfully and gloriously.
27 And then will he send forth the angels, and will gather the chosen ones from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Then I will send out my angels in order that they gather together the people whom [God] has chosen from [everywhere, and that includes] all the most remote places on earth [IDM, DOU].
28 And from the fig-tree learn its parable. When its branch hath now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that summer is near.
Now I [want you to] learn something from this parable about [the way] fig trees [grow]. [In this area], when their buds become tender and their leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.
29 So also, when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that he is near, at the doors.
Similarly, when you see [what I have just described] happening, you yourselves will know that it is very near [the time for me to return] [MTY]. [It will be as though I am] already at the door [HEN].
30 Truly do I say to you, that this generation will not pass away, till all these things take place.
Keep this in mind: You have observed the things that I have done and said, but all of those events [that I have just told you about] will happen before all of you will die.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
You can [be certain that] these things [that I have prophesied] will happen. [You can be more certain of that than] you can [be certain that] the earth and what is in the sky will stay in place.
32 But that day or hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.
But no one knows the exact time [when I will return]. The angels in heaven also do not know. Even [I do not know.] Only my Father knows.
33 Take heed, watch; for ye know not when the time is.
So be ready, [like people who are waiting for an important man to come], because you do not know when that time will come [when all these events will happen]!
34 As a man going abroad, having left his house and given authority to his servants, to each one his work, also commanded the porter to watch,
When a man who wants to travel [to a distant place] is [about to] leave his house, he tells his servants that they should manage the house. [He tells] each one what he should do. Then he tells the doorkeeper to be ready [for his return].
35 so also watch ye; for ye know not when the master of the house is coming, whether at evening, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning;
[That man must always be] ready, [because he does not know whether] his master will return in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn. [Similarly], you also must [always] be ready, because you do not know [when I will return].
36 lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
[May it not happen that] when I come suddenly, I will find that you are not ready!
37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch.
These words that I am saying to you [disciples] I am saying to everyone [who believes in me: Always] be ready!” [That is what Jesus warned his disciples].
