Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple
1 cAnd as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will dnot be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Signs of the End of the Age
3 eAnd as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but fthe end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 g“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to hcouncils, and you will be beaten in isynagogues, and you will stand before jgovernors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be kproclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, ldo not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the mHoly Spirit. 12 And nbrother will deliver brother over to odeath, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. pBut the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The Abomination of Desolation
14 q“But when you see rthe abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee sto the mountains. 15 tLet the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and ulet the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And valas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such wtribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 xAnd then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform ysigns and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 z“But in those days, after that tribulation, athe sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the bstars will be falling from heaven, and the cpowers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man dcoming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
28 e“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is fnear, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, gthis generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
No One Knows That Day or Hour
32 h“But concerning that day or that hour, ino one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, jkeep awake.1 For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man kgoing on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants2 in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows,3 or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
O Lord, Be Gracious to Me
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 lBlessed is the one who considers the poor!1
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not mgive him up to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.2
4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
nheal me,3 for oI have sinned against you!”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
while his heart gathers iniquity;
when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.4
8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out5 on him;
he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
pwho ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!
11 By this I know that you delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever.
13 qBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
rAmen and Amen.
