Matthew
Chapter 24
1 Jesus left the temple, and when his disciples approached, they pointed out the temple buildings to him.
2 Jesus said to them, “Don’t you see all these things? Truly, I tell you, not one stone will be left on another here; all will be knocked down.”
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?”
4 Jesus replied and told them, “Be careful that no one tricks you.”
5 Many will come using my name, claiming to be Christ, and they will fool many people.
6 You will hear about wars and talk of wars: don’t be afraid: all these things have to happen, but it’s not the end yet.
7 Country will fight against country, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be food shortages, diseases, and earthquakes in different places.
8 All these things are the start of troubles.
9 They will hand you over to suffer and will kill you. All nations will hate you because of me.
10 Then many will feel hurt, betray each other, and hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will appear and trick many people.
12 Because there will be more wrongdoing, many people’s love will grow cold.
13 But the one who keeps going until the end will be saved.
14 This good news of the kingdom will be told everywhere in the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 When you see the terrible thing that causes destruction, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the sacred place, (if you read this, try to understand:)
16 If you are in Judea, run to the mountains.
17 If you’re on the roof, don’t go down to get anything from your house.
18 If someone is in the field, they should not go back to get their clothes.
19 Trouble will come to pregnant women and mothers nursing babies in those days!
20 Pray that you don’t have to run away in the winter or on the Sabbath day.
21 Then there will be a great hardship, like nothing that has ever happened from the start of the world until now, and will never happen again.
22 If those days were not made shorter, no one would survive. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be made shorter.
23 If anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.
24 False Christs and false prophets will come and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen people.
25 Look, I have already told you.
26 So if someone tells you, ‘Look, he is in the desert,’ don’t go there; or ‘Look, he is hiding inside,’ don’t believe it.
27 Just like lightning starts in the east and flashes to the west, so will the arrival of the Son of Man be.
28 Wherever the dead body is, that’s where the eagles will come together.
29 Right after those hard times, the sun will get dark, the moon won’t shine, stars will fall from the sky, and the forces in the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the peoples of the earth will be sad, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
31 He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will bring his chosen people from everywhere, from all parts of the sky.
32 Learn from the story of the fig tree: When its branch becomes soft and grows leaves, you know summer is near.
33 In the same way, when you see all these things, understand that it is close, right at the door.
34 Truly I tell you, this group of people will not disappear until all these things happen.
35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 No one knows the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, only God does.
37 Just as in Noah’s time, so will the arrival of the Son of Man be.
38 Before the flood, people were eating, drinking, getting married, and giving others in marriage, until Noah went into the ark.
39 They did not know until the flood came and swept them all away; so will it be when the Son of Man comes.
40 Two people will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other will be left behind.
41 Two women will be working at the mill; one will be taken, and the other will be left behind.
42 Stay alert, because you do not know when your Lord will come.
43 Understand this: if the owner of the house knew when the thief would come, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.
44 Be ready too, because the Son of Man will come at a time you don’t expect.
45 Who then is a loyal and smart servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the right time?
46 Happy is the servant who is doing his work when his master comes.
47 I truly tell you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
48 If the bad servant thinks, “My master is taking a long time to come back;”
49 He will start to hurt his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunk.
50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not expecting him, and at an hour he does not know.
51 He will cut him to pieces and place him with the fakes, where there will be crying and grinding of teeth.