< Mark 13 >

1 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]!”
And as he is going forth out of the temple, one of his disciples saith to him, 'Teacher, see! what stones! and what buildings!'
2 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.”
and Jesus answering said to him, 'Seest thou these great buildings? there may not be left a stone upon a stone, that may not be thrown down.'
3 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,
And as he is sitting at the mount of the Olives, over-against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, were questioning him by himself,
4 “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]}.”
'Tell us when these things shall be? and what [is] the sign when all these may be about to be fulfilled?'
5 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]!
And Jesus answering them, began to say, 'Take heed lest any one may lead you astray,
6 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.
for many shall come in my name, saying — I am [he], and many they shall lead astray;
7 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!
and when ye may hear of wars and reports of wars, be not troubled, for these behove to be, but the end [is] not yet;
8 [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].
for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles; beginnings of sorrows [are] these.
9 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].
'And take ye heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrims, and to synagogues, ye shall be beaten, and before governors and kings ye shall be set for my sake, for a testimony to them;
10 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].
and to all the nations it behoveth first that the good news be proclaimed.
11 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].
'And when they may lead you, delivering up, be not anxious beforehand what ye may speak, nor premeditate, but whatever may be given to you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 [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.
'And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death,
13 [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}.
and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end — he shall be saved.
14 [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.
'And when ye may see the abomination of the desolation, that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (whoever is reading let him understand), then those in Judea, let them flee to the mountains;
15 Those people who are outside their houses must not enter their houses in order to get anything [before they run away].
and he upon the house-top, let him not come down to the house, nor come in to take anything out of his house;
16 Those who are [working] in a field must not return [to their houses] in order to get [additional] clothes [before they flee].
and he who is in the field, let him not turn to the things behind, to take up his garment.
17 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]
'And woe to those with child, and to those giving suck, in those days;
18 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].
and pray ye that your flight may not be in winter,
for those days shall be tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation that God created, till now, and may not be;
20 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].
and if the Lord did not shorten the days, no flesh had been saved; but because of the chosen, whom He did choose to Himself, He did shorten the days.
21 [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!
'And then, if any may say to you, Lo, here [is] the Christ, or, Lo, there, ye may not believe;
for there shall rise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall give signs and wonders, to seduce, if possible, also the chosen;
23 Be alert! Remember that [I] have warned you about all this before [it happens.]
and ye, take heed; lo, I have foretold you all things.
24 After the time when people suffer like that, the sun will become dark, the moon will not shine,
'But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
25 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}.
and the stars of the heaven shall be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken.
26 Then people will see [me], the one who came from heaven, coming through the clouds powerfully and gloriously.
'And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in clouds with much power and glory,
27 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].
and then he shall send his messengers, and gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the end of the earth unto the end of heaven.
28 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.
'And from the fig-tree learn ye the simile: when the branch may already become tender, and may put forth the leaves, ye know that nigh is the summer;
29 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].
so ye, also, when these ye may see coming to pass, ye know that it is nigh, at the doors.
30 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.
Verily I say to you, that this generation may not pass away till all these things may come to pass;
31 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.
the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
32 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.
'And concerning that day and the hour no one hath known — not even the messengers who are in the heaven, not even the Son — except the Father.
33 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]!
Take heed, watch and pray, for ye have not known when the time is;
34 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].
as a man who is gone abroad, having left his house, and given to his servants the authority, and to each one his work, did command also the porter that he may watch;
35 [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].
watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or at the morning;
36 [May it not happen that] when I come suddenly, I will find that you are not ready!
lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping;
37 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].
and what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.'

< Mark 13 >