Temple Destruction and Signs
1 Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. 2 Jesus said to them, “Do you see all of these things? Truly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will lead many astray. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. 8 But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.”
Witnessing to All Nations
9 “Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. 10 Then many will stumble and will deliver up one another and will hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray. 12 Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
The Abomination of Desolation
15 “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath day, 21 for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. 22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
23 Then if any man tells you, ‘Here is the Messiah,’ or, ‘There,’ do not believe it. 24 For there will arise false messiahs and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25 I have told you beforehand.”
The Return of the Son of Man
26 “If therefore they tell you, ‘He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning flashes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will be, gathered together.
29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days:
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give its light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.a
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
32 “Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch becomes tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, know that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Be Ready at Any Hour
36 “But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but only my Father. 37 “As in the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 and they did not know until the flood came and took all of them away. So will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken, and one will be left.
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know in what hour your Lord will come. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has made ruler over his household, to give them their food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing so when he comes. 47 Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
48 But if that wicked servant should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect it, and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”