1 As Jesus left the temple complex and was walking away, his disciples came up to him to call his attention to the temple buildings.

2 In response Jesus said to them: “Do ᵖyou see all these things? Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: No two stones here will be left standing together; all are doomed to be torn down!”

3 While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to him privately. “Please tell us,” they said, “ when will these things take place? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the culmination of the age?”

4 In answer Jesus said some very important things:

“Make sure that ᵖyou don’t let anyone deceive you!5 There will appear in my name, you see, many imposters, claiming, ‘ I am the Messiah!’, and they will deceive many, many people. 6 Now ᵖyou are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure ᵖyou aren’t alarmed, for these things must take place, but its end+ is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation and ‘kingdom against kingdom,’+ you see, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these events, by contrast, will signal the beginning of birth pains.

9 “At that time people will hand ᵖyou over to be punished and will kill ᵖyou, and ᵖyou will be hated by all the Gentiles because of my name; 10 at that time many will fall away and hand one another over and hate one another. 11 There will appear many false prophets, and they will deceive many people. 12 Things will become so wicked, in fact, that the love of most will grow cold. 13 He who endures to the finish, however, will be saved. 14 And this gospel about the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole empire+ as a witness before all the Gentiles, and then its end will come.

15 “In light of these things, when ᵖyou see the ‘abomination that causes desolation,’+ spoken about through Daniel the prophet, stationed near the holy place (let the reader take careful note), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 If someone happens to be on the roof of his house, he must not come down to gather his belongings in the house. 18 Likewise, if someone happens to be out in his field, he must not turn back even to get his precious cloak. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers at that time! 20 Pray that ᵖyour flight won’t take place in winter or on a Sabbath, 21 because there will be at that time great trial and distress, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world until now, nor will ever occur again. 22 In fact, if that time had not been cut short, no one would survive. That time will be cut short, however, because of the chosen ones. 23 At that time, if anyone, to ᵖyou, says, ‘Look! The Messiah is over here!’ or ‘Here he is!’, don’t believe it! 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25 Remember, I have warned ᵖyou ahead of time.

26 “So then, if people say to ᵖyou, ‘Look! The Messiah is out in the wilderness!’, don’t go out! Or if they say, ‘Look! He’s in the inner rooms!’, don’t believe it! 27 As when lighting comes from the east and shines light as far as the west, you see, this is how it will be when the Son of Man comes. 28 Wherever there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.

29 “But suddenly, after the trial and distress of that time,+

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and start sprouting leaves, ᵖyou recognize that summer is very near. 33 In the same way, ᵖyou, too, when you observe all these things, recognize that he+ is very near—right at the door! 34 Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. 35 It is heaven and the earth that will pass away! My words, however, will never pass away.

36 “Now in regard to that day and appointed time, no one knows it—not the angels in the heavens, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 Just as it was in the time of Noah, you see, this is how it will be when the Son of Man is about to come. 38 Indeed, just as people were, in that time before the flood, simply enjoying life, marrying and giving daughters in marriage, right up to the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and didn’t realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away—this is how it will be when the Son of Man is about to come. 40 At that time there will be out in the field two men; one will be taken, and one will be left. 41 Grinding grain at the millstone will be two women; one will be taken, and one will be left. 42 In light of these things, stay awake and be watchful, since ᵖyou don’t know in what day your Lord is going to come. 43 But understand this: If the master of the household had recognized in which watch of the night the thief was about to come, he would have stayed awake and not allowed the thief to break into his house. 44 That is why ᵖyou, too, must yourselves be prepared. For it is in an appointed time you don’t suppose that the Son of Man is going to come.

45 “Who then is the trustworthy and wise slave, whom the master put in charge of his household slaves to give them their food at the appointed time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom the master, upon his arrival, finds doing exactly that. 47 Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: The master will indeed over all his possessions put that slave in charge. 48 But suppose that slave is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with the drunkards— 50 the master of that slave will come in a day that the slave is not anticipating and in an appointed time he doesn’t recognize 51 and cut him in two; that slave’s portion he will make the same as the punishment he assigns to the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.