Knox Bible

1

And he looked up, and saw the rich folk putting their gifts into the treasury;

2

he also saw one poor widow, who put in two mites.

3

Thereupon he said, Believe me, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

4

The others all made an offering to God out of what they had to spare; she, with so little to give, put in her whole livelihood.

5

There were some who spoke to him of the temple, of the noble masonry and the offerings which adorned it; to these he said,

6

The days will come when, of all this fabric you contemplate, not one stone will be left on another; it will all be thrown down.

7

And they asked him, Master, when will this be? What sign will be given, when it is soon to be accomplished?

8

Take care, he said, that you do not allow anyone to deceive you. Many will come making use of my name; they will say, Here I am, the time is close at hand; do not turn aside after them.

9

And when you hear of wars and revolts, do not be alarmed by it; such things must happen first, but the end will not come all at once.

10

Then he told them, Nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

11

there will be great earthquakes in this region or that, and plagues and famines; and sights of terror and great portents from heaven.

12

Before all this, men will be laying hands on you and persecuting you; they will give you up to the synagogues, and to prison, and drag you into the presence of kings and governors on my account;

13

that will be your opportunity for making the truth known.

14

Resolve, then, not to prepare your manner of answering beforehand;

15

I will give you such eloquence and such wisdom as all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand, or to confute.

16

You will be given up by parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends, and some of you will be put to death;

17

all the world will be hating you because you bear my name;

18

and yet no hair of your head shall perish.

19

It is by endurance that you will secure possession of your souls.

20

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, be sure that the time has come when she will be laid waste.

21

Then those who are in Judaea must take refuge in the mountains, those who are in the city itself withdrawing from it, and those who are in the country-side not making their way into it;

22

these will be days of vengeance, bringing fulfilment of all that has been written.

23

It will go hard with women who are with child, or have children at the breast, in those days; it will be a time of bitter distress over all the land, and retribution against this people.

24

They will be put to the sword, and led away into captivity all over the world; and Jerusalem will be trodden under the feet of the Gentiles, until the time granted to the Gentile nations has run out.

25

The sun and the moon and the stars will give portents, and on earth the nations will be in distress, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and of its waves;

26

men’s hearts will be dried up with fear, as they await the troubles that are overtaking the whole world; the very powers of heaven will rock.

27

And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with his full power and majesty.

28

When all this begins, look up, and lift up your heads; it means that the time draws near for your deliverance.

29

And he told them a parable; Look at the fig-tree, or any of the trees;

30

when they put out their fruit, you know by your own experience that summer is near.

31

Just so, when you see this happen, be sure that the kingdom of God is close at hand.

32

Believe me, this generation will not have passed, before all this is accomplished.

33

Though heaven and earth should pass away, my words will stand.✻

34

Only look well to yourselves; do not let your hearts grow dull with revelry and drunkenness and the affairs of this life, so that that day overtakes you unawares;

35

it will come like the springing of a trap on all those who dwell upon the face of the earth.

36

Keep watch, then, praying at all times, so that you may be found worthy to come safe through all that lies before you, and stand erect to meet the presence of the Son of Man.

37

Each day he went on teaching in the temple, and at night he lodged on the mountain which is called Olivet;

38

and all the people waited for him at early morning in the temple, to listen to him.