< Matthew 24 >

1 Leaving the Temple Courts, Jesus was walking away, when his disciples came up to draw his attention to the Temple buildings.
As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings.
2 “Do you see all these things?” was his answer. “I tell you, not a single stone will be left here on another, which will not be thrown down,”
“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 so, while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came up to him privately and said, “Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the close of the age.” (aiōn g165)
While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (aiōn g165)
4 Jesus replied to them, “See that no one leads you astray;
Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.
5 for, many will take my name, and come saying ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.
For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; take care not to be alarmed, for such things must occur; but the end is not yet here.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All this, however, will be but the beginning of the birth pangs!
All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 When that time comes, they will give you up to persecution, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10 And then many will fall away, and will betray one another, and hate one another.
At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,
11 Many false prophets, also, will appear and lead many astray;
and many false prophets will arise and mislead many.
12 and, owing to the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.
Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.
13 Yet the person who endures to the end will be saved.
But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
14 This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all nations; and then will come the end.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 As soon, then, as you see ‘the Foul Desecration,’ mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy place,” (the reader must consider what this means)
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),
16 “then those of you who are in Judea must take refuge in the mountains;
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 and a man on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house;
Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.
18 nor must one who is on their farm turn back to get his cloak.
And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
19 Alas for pregnant women, and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!
20 Pray, too, that your flight may not take place in winter, nor on a Sabbath;
Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.
21 for that will be a time of great distress, the like of which has not occurred from the beginning of the world down to the present time – no, nor ever will again.
For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.
22 Had not those days been limited, not a single soul would escape; but for the sake of God’s people a limit will be put to them.
If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
23 At that time, if anyone should say to you ‘Look! Here is the Christ!’ or ‘Here he is!’, do not believe it;
At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.
24 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will display great signs and marvels, so that, were it possible, even God’s people would be led astray.
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
25 Remember, I have told you beforehand.
See, I have told you in advance.
26 Therefore, if people say to you ‘He is in the wilderness!’, do not go out there; or ‘He is in an inner room!’, do not believe it;
So if they tell you, ‘There He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27 for, just as lightning will start from the east and flash across to the west, so will it be with the coming of the Son of Man.
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28 Wherever a dead body lies, there will the vultures flock.
Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light, the stars will fall from the heavens, and the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.
Immediately after the tribulation 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 powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
30 Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the heavens, with power and great glory;
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
31 and he will send his angels, with a great trumpet, and they will gather his people around him from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 “Learn the lesson taught by the fig tree. As soon as its branches are full of sap, and it is bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 And so may you, as soon as you see all these things, know that he is at your doors.
So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.
34 I tell you, even the present generation will not pass away, until all these things have taken place.
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
35 The heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
36 But about that day and hour, no one knows – not even the angels of heaven, not even the Son – but only the Father himself.
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 For, just as in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 In those days before the flood they went on eating and drinking, marrying and being married, up to the very day on which Noah entered the ark,
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.
39 taking not notice until the flood came and swept them one and all away; and so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 At that time, of two men on a farm one will be taken and one left;
Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 of two women grinding with a hand-mill one will be taken and one left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 Therefore watch; for you cannot be sure on what day your Master is coming.
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
43 But this you do know, that, had the owner of the house known at what time of night the thief was coming, they would have been on the watch, and would not have allowed their house to be broken into.
But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore, you must also prepare, since it is just when you are least expecting him that the Son of Man will come.
For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
45 Who, then is that trustworthy, careful servant, who has been placed by their master over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
46 Happy will that servant be whom their master, when he comes home, will find doing this.
Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
47 I tell you that their master will put them in charge of the whole of his property.
Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48 But, should the servant be a bad servant, and say to themselves ‘My master is a long time in coming,’
But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’
49 and begin to beat their fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards,
And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50 that servant’s master will come on a day when they do not expect him, and at an hour of which they are unaware,
The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.
51 and will flog the servant severely, and assign them their place among the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

< Matthew 24 >