Matthew, 24

1. Jesus left the temple area and was going away, when his disciples approached him to point out the temple buildings.

1. Jesus left the Temple, and as he was going away his disciples came up to draw his attention to the Temple buildings.

2. He said to them in reply, "You see all these things, do you not? Amen, I say to you, there will not be left here a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

2. He said to them in reply, 'You see all these? In truth I tell you, not a single stone here will be left on another: everything will be pulled down.'

3. As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, "Tell us, when will this happen, and what sign will there be of your coming, and of the end of the age?"

3. And while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives the disciples came and asked him when they were by themselves, 'Tell us, when is this going to happen, and what sign will there be of your coming and of the end of the world?'

4. Jesus said to them in reply, "See that no one deceives you.

4. And Jesus answered them, 'Take care that no one deceives you,

5. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah,' and they will deceive many.

5. because many will come using my name and saying, "I am the Christ," and they will deceive many.

6. You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.

6. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for this is something that must happen, but the end will not be yet.

7. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place.

7. For nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8. All these are the beginning of the labor pains.

8. All this is only the beginning of the birthpangs.

9. Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.

9. 'Then you will be handed over to be tortured and put to death; and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name.

10. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another.

10. And then many will fall away; people will betray one another and hate one another.

11. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many;

11. Many false prophets will arise; they will deceive many,

12. and because of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold.

12. and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most people will grow cold;

13. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

13. but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.

14. 'This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world as evidence to the nations. And then the end will come.

15. spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

15. 'So when you see the appalling abomination, of which the prophet Daniel spoke, set up in the holy place (let the reader understand),

16. then those in Judea must flee to the mountains,

16. then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains;

17. a person on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house,

17. if anyone is on the housetop, he must not come down to collect his belongings from the house;

18. a person in the field must not return to get his cloak.

18. if anyone is in the fields, he must not turn back to fetch his cloak.

19. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days.

19. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come!

20. Pray that your flight not be in winter or on the sabbath,

20. Pray that you will not have to make your escape in winter or on a Sabbath.

21. for at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be.

21. For then there will be great distress, unparalleled since the world began, and such as will never be again.

22. And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened.

22. And if that time had not been shortened, no human being would have survived; but shortened that time shall be, for the sake of those who are chosen.

23. If anyone says to you then, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.

23. 'If anyone says to you then, "Look, here is the Christ," or "Over here," do not believe it;

24. False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will perform signs and wonders so great as to deceive, if that were possible, even the elect.

24. for false Christs and false prophets will arise and provide great signs and portents, enough to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

25. Behold, I have told it to you beforehand.

25. Look! I have given you warning.

26. So if they say to you, 'He is in the desert,' do not go out there; if they say, 'He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

26. 'If, then, they say to you, "Look, he is in the desert," do not go there; "Look, he is in some hiding place," do not believe it;

27. For just as lightning comes from the east and is seen as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

27. because the coming of the Son of man will be like lightning striking in the east and flashing far into the west.

28. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

28. Wherever the corpse is, that is where the vultures will gather.

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 sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

29. 'Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

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

30. And then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven; then, too, all the peoples of the earth will beat their breasts; and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

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

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

32. "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.

32. 'Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.

33. In the same way, when you see all these things, know that he is near, at the gates.

33. So with you when you see all these things: know that he is near, right at the gates.

34. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.

34. In truth I tell you, before this generation has passed away, all these things will have taken place.

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

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

36. but the Father alone.

36. But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, no one but the Father alone.

37. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

37. 'As it was in Noah's day, so will it be when the Son of man comes.

38. In (those) days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark.

38. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark,

39. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be (also) at the coming of the Son of Man.

39. and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of man comes.

40. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.

40. Then of two men in the fields, one is taken, one left;

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

41. of two women grinding at the mill, one is taken, one left.

42. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.

42. 'So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming.

43. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.

43. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house.

44. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

44. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45. "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time?

45. 'Who, then, is the wise and trustworthy servant whom the master placed over his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46. Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.

46. Blessed that servant if his master's arrival finds him doing exactly that.

47. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.

47. In truth I tell you, he will put him in charge of everything he owns.

48. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,'

48. But if the servant is dishonest and says to himself, "My master is taking his time,"

49. and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards,

49. and sets about beating his fellow-servants and eating and drinking with drunkards,

50. the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour

50. his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know.

51. and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

51. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.'