Matthew 24
1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to show him the temple buildings.
2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you: not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us: when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Watch out so that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Take care; do not be alarmed, because these things must happen, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9 Then they will hand you over to affliction and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.
10 Then many will stumble, and they will hand one another over and hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will arise and deceive many.
12 And because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But whoever endures to the end will be saved.
14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations; then the end will come.”
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel, standing in a holy place—let the reader understand—
16 then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
17 Whoever is on the rooftop must not go down to take things from his house,
18 and whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!
20 Pray that your flight does not happen in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great affliction, unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be cut short.
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, the Christ is here,’ or ‘There,’ do not believe it.
24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the chosen ones.
25 Look, I have told you beforehand.
26 So if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27 For just as lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.”
29 “Immediately after the affliction 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 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
31 He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32 Learn this lesson from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 In the same way, when you see all these things, know that he is near, at the doors.
34 Truly I tell you: this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things happen.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
36 “But about that day and hour, no one knows—not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 For as the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 For in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.
39 They did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. So it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Then two will be in the field: one will be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken, and the other left.
42 So keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not let his house be broken into.
44 So you too must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom the master put in charge of his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing this when he comes.
47 Truly I tell you: he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48 But that wicked servant may say in his heart, ‘My master is taking a long time.’
49 He may begin to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50 Then the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know.
51 He will cut him in two and assign him his place with the hypocrites; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
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