1So as Jesus was going out, departing from the temple, His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

2But Jesus said to them: “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly I say to you, absolutely not a single stone here will be left upon another, that will not be thrown down.” ³⁴⁹

“A beginning of birth pains”

3Now as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately saying: “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming and of the completion of the age?” ³⁵⁰

4So in answer Jesus said to them: “Watch out, so that no one deceives you.

5Because many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many.

6You will be concerned when you hear ³⁵¹of wars and rumors of wars; see to it that you not get worked up; for all of it has to happen, but the end is not yet.

7For nation will be raised up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places;

8but all these things are only a beginning of birth pains. ³⁵²

The increase of lawlessness

9“Then they will hand you over to oppression and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.

10And then many will be offended, and they will betray one another and will hate one another.

11And many false prophets will be raised up and they will deceive many. ³⁵³

12And because of the increase of the lawlessness the love of the majority will grow cold.

13So the one who perseveres to the end, he will be saved. ³⁵⁴

14And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth as a witness to all the ethnic nations, and then the end will come. ³⁵⁵

The Great Tribulation

15“So then, when you (ye) see the ‘abomination of desolation’, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” ³⁵⁶(let the reader understand),

16“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17Anyone on the housetop should not go down to take things out of his house,

18and anyone in the field should not go back to get his cloak. ³⁵⁷

19But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing a baby in those days!

20And pray that your flight may not happen in winter or on a Sabbath. ³⁵⁸

21Because then there will be a great tribulation, such as has never been since the beginning of the world until now, and never again will be. ³⁵⁹

22And unless those days were cut short no flesh would be saved; ³⁶⁰but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ³⁶¹

23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, the Messiah is here!’ or ‘there!’ do not believe him.

24Because false christs and false prophets will be raised up, ³⁶²and they will give great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

25See, I have told you beforehand.

26So if they should say to you, ‘Look, He is in the wilderness!’ do not go out; ‘Look, in the secret rooms!’ do not believe it.

27Because just as the lightning comes from east and shines to west, so also will be the coming of the Son of the Man;

28for wherever the carcass may be there will be a gathering of vultures. ³⁶³

The King's return to earth

29“Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁶⁴

30And then the sign of the Son of the Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn ³⁶⁵—they will see the Son of the Man coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory.

31And He will send out His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will collect His elect from the four winds, from one extreme of the heavens to the other.

Learn from the fig tree

32“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and it puts forth leaves, you know that the summer is near.

33So you also, whenever you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors!

34Assuredly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. ³⁶⁶

35The heaven and the earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ³⁶⁷

The Rapture

36“But no one knows concerning that day and hour, ³⁶⁸not even the angels of the heavens, except my Father alone. ³⁶⁹

37But just as were the days of Noah, so also will be the coming of the Son of the Man.

38For just as they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, in the days before the flood until the day that Noah entered the ark,

39and were not aware until the flood came and took all away, so also will be the coming of the Son of the Man.

40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.

41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other will be left.

42So be watchful, because you (pl) do not know in what hour ³⁷⁰your Lord is coming.

43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.

44Therefore you also be ready, because the Son of the Man is coming at an hour that you do not suppose. ³⁷¹

45“Who then is the faithful and prudent servant whom his lord placed over his corps of servants to give them food on schedule?

46Blessed be that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find doing so.

47Assuredly I say to you that he will place him over all his possessions.

48But if that bad servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his return,’

49and should begin to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

50the lord of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour when he is not aware,

51and will cut him in two and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. ³⁷²There, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ³⁷³