Mark 13
Chapter 13
Jesus Foretells the Future
1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”
2 Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him,
4 “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?”
5 Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you,6 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’t They will deceive many.7 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.
8 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
9 “When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.t10 For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.t
11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.
13 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.t But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14 “The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecrationt standing where het should not be.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.15 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack.16 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter.19 For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again.
20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
21 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.
23 Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!
24 “At that time, after the anguish of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will give no light,25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.t26 Then everyone will see the Son of Mant coming on the clouds with great power and glory.t
27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the worldt—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
28 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.29 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door.30 I tell you the truth, this generationt will not pass from the scene before all these things take place.
31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alertt!
34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.35 You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak.36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.
37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”
MARK 13
The Temple Will Be Destroyed
(Matthew 24.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)
1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these beautiful stones and wonderful buildings!”
2 Jesus replied, “Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”Warning about Trouble
(Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19)
3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private.
4 t They asked, “When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
5 Jesus answered:
Watch out and don't let anyone fool you!
6 Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and fool many people.
7 When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end.
8 Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles.
9 t Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their synagogues. And because of me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith.
10 But before the end comes, the good news must be preached to all nations.
11 When you are arrested, don't worry about what you will say. You will be given the right words when the time comes. But you will not really be the ones speaking. Your words will come from the Holy Spirit.
12 Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed.
13 t Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.The Horrible Thing
(Matthew 24.15-21; Luke 21.20-24)
14 t Someday you will see that “Horrible Thing” where it should not be.t Everyone who reads this must try to understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. 15 t If you are on the rooft of your house, don't go inside to get anything. 16 If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 17 It will be an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 18 Pray that it won't happen in winter.t 19 t This will be the worst time of suffering since God created the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again.
20 If the Lord doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of his chosen and special ones, he will make the time shorter.
21 If someone should say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” don't believe it. 22 False messiahs and false prophets will come and work miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones.
23 But be on your guard! That's why I am telling you these things now.When the Son of Man Appears
(Matthew 24.29-31; Luke 21.25-28)
24 t In those days, right after this time of suffering,
“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
25 t The stars will fall,
and the powers in the skyt
will be shaken.”
26 t Then the Son of Man will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
27 He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.A Lesson from a Fig Tree
(Matthew 24.32-35; Luke 21.29-33)
28 Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. 29 So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come.t 30 You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens.
31 The sky and the earth will not last forever, but my words will.No One Knows the Day or Time
(Matthew 24.36-44)
32 t No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know. Only the Father knows. 33 So watch out and be ready! You don't know when the time will come. 34 t It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert. 35 So be alert! You don't know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning. 36 But if he comes suddenly, don't let him find you asleep. 37 I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert!
