Matthew 24
24
The temple’s fate
1Now Jesus left the temple and was going away. His disciples came to point out to him the temple buildings. 2He responded, “Do you see all these things? I assure that no stone will be left on another. Everything will be demolished.”
Beginning of troubles
3Now 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?”
4Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the Christ.’ They will deceive many people. 6You will hear about wars and reports of wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet. 7Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in all sorts of places. 8But all these things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end. 9They will arrest you, abuse you, and they will kill you. All nations will hate you on account of my name. 10At that time many will fall away. They will betray each other and hate each other. 11Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because disobedience will expand, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. 14This 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), 16then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. 17Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses. 18Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. 19How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. 20Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day. 21There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. 22If 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. 24False 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. 25Look, I’ve told you ahead of time. 26So 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. 27Just as the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so it will be with the coming of the Human One.#24.27 Or Son of Man 28The 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. 30Then the sign of the Human One#24.30 Or Son of Man 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#24.30 Or Son of Man coming in the heavenly clouds#24.30 Dan 7:13 I suddenly saw one like a human being (Aram kebar enash) coming with the heavenly clouds. with power and great splendor. 31He 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. 33In the same way, when you see all these things, you know that the Human One#24.33 Or Son of Man is near, at the door. 34I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until all these things happen. 35Heaven 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. 37As it was in the time of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Human One.#24.37 Or Son of Man 38In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. 39They didn’t know what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. The coming of the Human One#24.39 Or Son of Man will be like that. 40At that time there will be two men in the field. One will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and the other left. 42Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know what day the Lord is coming. 43But 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. 44Therefore, you also should be prepared, because the Human One#24.44 Or Son of Man 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? 46Happy are those servants whom the master finds fulfilling their responsibilities when he comes. 47I assure you that he will put them in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose those bad servants should say to themselves, My master won’t come until later. 49And suppose they began to beat their fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunks? 50The master of those servants will come on a day when they are not expecting him, at a time they couldn’t predict. 51He will cut them in pieces and put them in a place with the hypocrites. People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.
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Matthew 24: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Matthew 24
24
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
1As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2Then he asked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
Signs of the End of the Age
3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’#24.5 Or the Christ and they will lead many astray. 6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines#24.7 Other ancient authorities add and pestilences and earthquakes in various places: 8all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
Persecutions Foretold
9“Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10Then many will fall away,#24.10 Or stumble and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this good news#24.14 Or gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.
The Desolating Sacrilege
15“So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; 17the one on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; 18the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. 19Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. 21For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22And 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. 23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’#24.23 Or the Christ or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. 24For false messiahs#24.24 Or christs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25Take note, I have told you beforehand. 26So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29“Immediately after the suffering 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.
30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and 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. 31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
32“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he#24.33 Or it is near, at the very gates. 34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The Necessity for Watchfulness
36“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,#24.36 Other ancient authorities lack nor the Son but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day#24.42 Other ancient authorities read at what hour your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
The Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave
45“Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves#24.45 Gk to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? 46Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. 47Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. 48But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. 51He will cut him in pieces#24.51 Or cut him off and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.