Matthew 24

The temple’s fate

1 Now Jesus left the temple and was going away. His disciples came to point out to him the temple buildings.

2 He responded, "Do you see all these things? I assure that no stone will be left on another. Everything will be demolished."

Beginning of troubles

3 Now while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?"
4 Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you.5 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the Christ.’ They will deceive many people.6 You will hear about wars and reports of wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet.7 Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in all sorts of places.8 But all these things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end.9 They will arrest you, abuse you, and they will kill you. All nations will hate you on account of my name.10 At that time many will fall away. They will betray each other and hate each other.11 Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.12 Because disobedience will expand, the love of many will grow cold.13 But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.

14 This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations. Then the end will come.

The great suffering

15 “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing that Daniel talked about standing in the holy place (the reader should understand this),16 then those in Judea must escape to the mountains.17 Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses.18 Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes.19 How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children.20 Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day.21 There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see.

22 If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose that time will be cut short.
23 “Then if somebody says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘He’s over here,’ don’t believe it.24 False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen.25 Look, I’ve told you ahead of time.26 So if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s in the desert,’ don’t go out. And if they say, ‘Look, he’s in the rooms deep inside the house,’ don’t believe it.27 Just as the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so it will be with the coming of the Human One.t

28 The vultures gather wherever there’s a dead body.

Coming of the Human One

29 “Now immediately after the suffering of that time the sun will become dark, and the moon won’t give its light. The stars will fall from the sky and the planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken.30 Then the sign of the Human Onet will appear in the sky. At that time all the tribes of the earth will be full of sadness, and they will see the Human One t coming in the heavenly clouds t with power and great splendor.

31 He will send his angels with the sound of a great trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four corners of the earth, from one end of the sky to the other.

A lesson from the fig tree

32 “Learn this parable from the fig tree. After its branch becomes tender and it sprouts new leaves, you know that summer is near.33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you know that the Human Onet is near, at the door.34 I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until all these things happen.

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.

Day and hour

36 “But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows.37 As it was in the time of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Human One.t38 In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.39 They didn’t know what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. The coming of the Human Onet will be like that.40 At that time there will be two men in the field. One will be taken and the other left.41 Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and the other left.42 Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know what day the Lord is coming.43 But you understand that if the head of the house knew at what time the thief would come, he would keep alert and wouldn’t allow the thief to break into his house.

44 Therefore you also should be prepared, because the Human Onet will come at a time you don’t know.

Faithful and unfaithful servants

45 “Who then are the faithful and wise servants whom their master puts in charge of giving food at the right time to those who live in his house?46 Happy are those servants whom the master finds fulfilling their responsibilities when he comes.47 I assure you that he will put them in charge of all his possessions.48 But suppose those bad servants should say to themselves, My master won’t come until later.49 And suppose they began to beat their fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunks?50 The master of those servants will come on a day when they are not expecting him, at a time they couldn’t predict.

51 He will cut them in pieces and put them in a place with the hypocrites. People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.

Matthew 24

The Destruction of the Temple

1 Nowt as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings.s

2 And he said to them,t “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth,t not one stone will be left on another.s All will be torn down!”t

Signs of the End of the Age

3 Ast he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these thingss happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”4 Jesus answered them,t “Watch outt that no one misleads you.5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ts and they will mislead many.6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.t7 For nation will rise up in armst against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be faminess and earthquakess in various places.

8 Allt these things are the beginning of birth pains.

Persecution of Disciples

9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nationst because of my name.s10 Then many will be led into sin,t and they will betray one another and hate one another.11 And many false prophets will appear and deceivet many,12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold.13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved.s

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations,t and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 “So when you see the abomination of desolations – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),16 then those in Judea must flees to the mountains.17 The one on the roofs must not come downs to take anything out of his house,18 and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.19 Woet to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days!20 Prayt that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.21 For then there will be great sufferingt unlike anything that has happeneds from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen.22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ts or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him.24 For false messiahst and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25 Remember,t I have told you ahead of time.26 So then, if someonet says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’t do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him.27 For just like the lightnings comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vulturests will gather.t

The Arrival of the Son of Man

29 “Immediatelyt after the sufferingt of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.s30 Thent the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,t andt all the tribes of the earth will mourn. Theyt will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heavens with power and great glory.

31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heavent to the other.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

32 “Learnt this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.33 So also you, when you see all these things, knowt that he is near, right at the door.34 I tell you the truth,t this generations will not pass away until all these things take place.

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.s

Be Ready!

36 “But as for that day and hour no one knows it – not even the angels in heavens – except the Father alone.37 For just like the days of Noahs were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.38 For in those days before the flood, peoplet were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.39 And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away.s It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man.t40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left.s

41 There will be two women grinding grain with a mill;t one will be taken and one left.
42 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what days your Lord will come.43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thiefs was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into.

44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.s

The Faithful and Wise Slave

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave,t whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slavest their food at the proper time?46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at workt when he comes.47 I tell you the truth,t the mastert will put him in charge of all his possessions.48 But ift that evil slave should say to himself,t ‘My master is staying away a long time,’49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards,50 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee,

51 and will cut him in two,t and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.