Matthew 24 — FBV

24Verse 1As Jesus was leaving the Temple his disciples came to him, pointing proudly to the Temple buildings.^{Verse 2}But Jesus replied, “You see all these buildings? I tell you the truth: there won't be one stone left upon another. Every last one will come crashing down!”^{Verse 3}As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private, and asked, “Please tell us when this will happen. What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the world?”^{Verse 4}“Make sure no one misleads you,” Jesus replied.^{Verse 5}“Many will come claiming to be me, saying, ‘I'm the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many people.^{Verse 6}You'll hear about wars, and rumors about wars, but don't be anxious. These things have to happen, but this isn't the end.^{Verse 7}Nations will attack other nations, and kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places,^{Verse 8}but all these things are just the beginnings of birth pains.^{Verse 9}Then they will arrest you, they will persecute you, and they will kill you. All people will hate you because of me.^{Verse 10}At that time many believers will give up believing. They will betray one another and hate one another.^{Verse 11}Many false prophets will come and deceive many people.^{Verse 12}The increasing evil will lead the love of many to grow cold,^{Verse 13}but those who hold out to the end will be saved.^{Verse 14}The good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed around the whole world so everyone will be able to hear it, and then the end will come.^{Verse 15}So when you see the ‘idolatry that causes devastation’⁺standing in the holy place that the prophet Daniel spoke about (those who read this please consider carefully),^{Verse 16}then the people living in Judea should run away to the mountains.^{Verse 17}Anyone who is on the housetop must not go down and fetch what's in the house.^{Verse 18}Anyone who is out in the fields must not go back to get a coat.^{Verse 19}How awful it will be for those who are pregnant, and those who are nursing babies at that time!^{Verse 20}Pray that you don't have to run away in winter, or on the Sabbath day.^{Verse 21}For at that time there will be terrible persecution—more terrible than anything that has happened from the beginning of the world up till now, and won't ever happen again.^{Verse 22}Unless those days are cut short, nobody will be saved, but for the sake of the chosen those days will be cut short.^{Verse 23}So if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here's the Messiah,’ or, ‘There he is,’ don't believe it.^{Verse 24}For false messiahs will appear, and false prophets too, and they will perform incredible signs and miracles in order to deceive the chosen, if that were possible.^{Verse 25}Notice that I've told you this before it even happens.^{Verse 26}So if they tell you, ‘Look, he's out in the desert,’ don't go looking there; or if they say, ‘Look, he's secretly here,’ don't believe it.^{Verse 27}For the coming of the Son of man will be like the lightning that flashes brightly from east to west.^{Verse 28}‘Vultures gather where the carcass is.’^{Verse 29}But right after those days of persecution the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shine, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.^{Verse 30}Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and in brilliant glory.^{+Verse 31}With a blast from a trumpet he will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from every place, from one end of heaven and earth to the other.^{+Verse 32}Learn an illustration from the fig tree. When its shoots become tender and leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is coming.^{Verse 33}In the same way when you see all these things happening, you know that his coming is near, in fact it's right at the door!^{Verse 34}I tell you the truth: this generation won't pass away until all these things have happened.^{Verse 35}Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words won't pass away.^{Verse 36}But no one knows the day or hour when this will take place, not the angels in heaven, nor the Son. Only the Father knows.^{Verse 37}When the Son of man comes it will be like it was during the time of Noah.^{Verse 38}It will be as in the days before the flood, when they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, right up until the day that Noah went into the ark.^{Verse 39}They didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That's how the coming of the Son of man will be.^{Verse 40}Two men will be working in the fields. One will be taken, the other left.^{Verse 41}Two women will be grinding grain with a mill. One will be taken, the other left.^{Verse 42}So stay alert, because you don't know what day your Lord is coming.^{Verse 43}But consider this: if the house-owner knew what time a thief was coming, he would keep watch. He would not allow his house to be broken into and robbed.^{Verse 44}You also need to be ready, because the Son of man is coming at a time when you're not expecting him.^{Verse 45}For who is the trustworthy and thoughtful servant? It's the one his master puts in charge of his household to provide them with food at the proper time.^{Verse 46}How good it will be for that servant to be found doing that when his master returns!^{Verse 47}I tell you the truth: the master will put that servant in charge over everything he has.^{Verse 48}But if he was evil, the servant would say to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time,’^{Verse 49}and would start beating the other servants, feasting and drinking with the drunks.^{Verse 50}Then that servant's master will return when the man doesn't expect him, at a time he doesn't know.^{Verse 51}He'll cut him to pieces, and treat him in the same way as the hypocrites,⁺sending him to a place where there's crying and gnashing of teeth.”