Matthew 24

Signs of the End

1 Jesus left the temple. He was walking away when his disciples came up to him. They wanted to call his attention to the temple buildings.
2 "Do you see all these things?" Jesus asked. "What I'm about to tell you is true. Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down."
3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives. There the disciples came to him in private. "Tell us," they said. "When will this happen? And what will be the sign of your coming? What will be the sign of the end?"
4 Jesus answered, "Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you.5 Many will come in my name. They will claim, 'I am the Christ!' They will fool many people.
6 "You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don't be alarmed. Those things must happen. But the end still isn't here.7 Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. People will go hungry. There will be earthquakes in many places.8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 "Then people will hand you over to be treated badly and killed. All nations will hate you because of me.10 At that time, many will turn away from their faith. They will hate each other. They will hand each other over to their enemies.11 Many false prophets will appear. They will fool many people.12 Because evil will grow, most people's love will grow cold.13 But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.14 This good news of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world. It will be a witness to all nations. Then the end will come.
15 "The prophet Daniel spoke about 'the hated thing that destroys.' (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) Someday you will see it standing in the holy place. The reader should understand this.16 Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains.17 No one on the roof should go down into his house to take anything out.18 No one in the field should go back to get his coat.19 How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers!20 Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on the Sabbath day.21 There will be terrible suffering in those days. It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now. And there will never be anything like it again.22 If the time had not been cut short, no one would live. But because of God's chosen people, it will be shortened.
23 "At that time someone may say to you, 'Look! Here is the Christ!' Or, 'There he is!' Do not believe it.24 False Christs and false prophets will appear. They will do great signs and miracles. They will try to fool God's chosen people if possible.25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 "So if anyone tells you, 'He is far out in the desert,' do not go out there. Or if anyone says, 'He is deep inside the house,' do not believe it.27 Lightning that comes from the east can be seen in the west. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes.28 The vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.

29 "Right after the terrible suffering of those days,
" 'The sun will be darkened.
The moon will not shine.
The stars will fall from the sky.
The heavenly bodies will be shaken.' (Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the nations on earth will be sad. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky. He will come with power and great glory.31 He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call. They will gather his chosen people from all four directions. They will bring them from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.33 In the same way, when you see all those things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door.34 What I'm about to tell you is true. The people living at that time will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened.35 Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Are Not Known

36 "No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows.
37 "Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes.
38 "In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking. They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the ark.39 They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40 "Two men will be in the field. One will be taken and the other left.41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill. One will be taken and the other left.
42 "So keep watch. You do not know on what day your Lord will come.43 You must understand something. Suppose the owner of the house knew what time of night the robber was coming. Then he would have kept watch. He would not have let his house be broken into.44 So you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don't expect him.
45 "Suppose a master puts one of his servants in charge of the other servants in his house. The servant's job is to give them their food at the right time. The master wants a faithful and wise servant for this.46 It will be good for the servant if the master finds him doing his job when the master returns.47 What I'm about to tell you is true. The master will put that servant in charge of everything he owns.
48 "But suppose that servant is evil. Suppose he says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time.'49 Suppose he begins to beat the other servants. And suppose he eats and drinks with those who drink too much.50 The master of that servant will come back on a day the servant doesn't expect him. He will return at an hour the servant does not know.51 Then the master will cut him to pieces. He will send him to the place where pretenders go. There people will sob and grind their teeth.

Matthew 24

1 And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.2 But he answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man lead you astray.5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and shall lead many astray.6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet.7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places.8 But all these things are the beginning of travail.9 Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name’s sake.10 And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another.11 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.12 And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.13 But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.

15 When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand),16 then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains:17 let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house:18 and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak.19 But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!20 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath:21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.22 And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not.24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.25 Behold, I have told you beforehand.26 If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not.27 For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.28 Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:30 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31 And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh;33 even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that he is nigh, even at the doors.34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.37 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,39 and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.40 Then shall two man be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:41 two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.42 Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through.44 Therefore be ye also ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.

45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season?46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.47 Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord tarrieth;49 and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken;50 the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not,51 and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.