Knox Bible

1

As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Look, Master, what stones! What a fabric!

2

Jesus answered him, Do you see all this huge fabric? There will not be a stone of it left on another; it will all be thrown down.

3

So, when he was sitting down on mount Olivet, opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him, now that they were alone:

4

Tell us, when will this be? And what sign will be given, when all this is soon to be accomplished?✻

5

Take care, Jesus began in answer, that you do not allow anyone to deceive you.

6

Many will come making use of my name; they will say, Here I am, and many will be deceived by it.

7

When you hear tell of wars, and rumours of war, do not be disturbed in mind; such things must happen, but the end will not come yet.

8

Nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there will be earthquakes in this region or that, there will be famines: all this is but the beginning of travail.

9

But you will have to think of yourselves; men will be giving you up to courts of justice, and scourging you in the synagogues, yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings on my account, so that you can bear witness to them;

10

the gospel must be preached to all nations before the end.

11

When they take you and hand you over thus, do not consider anxiously beforehand what you are to say; use what words are given you when the time comes; it is not you that speak, it is the Holy Spirit.

12

Brother will be given up to death by brother, and the son by his father; children will rise up against their parents, and will compass their deaths;

13

all the world will be hating you because you bear my name; but that man will be saved, who endures to the last.

14

And now, when you see the abomination of desolation✻ standing where it should never stand (let him who reads this, recognize what it means), then those who are in Judaea must take refuge in the mountains;

15

not going down into the house, if they are on the house-top, or entering the house to carry anything away from it;

16

not turning back, if they are in the fields, to pick up a cloak.

17

It will go hard with women who are with child, or have children at the breast, in those days.

18

And you must pray that your flight may not be in the winter;

19

for those days will be days of distress, such as has not been since the beginning of creation till now, and can never be again.

20

There would have been no hope left for any human creature, if the Lord had not cut those days short; but he has cut the days short for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen.

21

At such a time, if a man tells you, See, here is Christ, or, See, he is there, do not believe him.

22

There will be false Christs and false prophets who will rise up and shew signs and wonders, so that, if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived.

23

But you must be on your guard; hereby, I have given you warning of it all.

24

In those days, after this distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will refuse her light;✻

25

and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in heaven will rock;

26

and then they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds, with great power and glory.

27

And then he will send out his angels, to gather his elect from the four winds, from earth’s end to heaven’s.✻

28

The fig-tree will teach you a parable; when its branch grows supple, and begins to put out leaves, you know that summer is near;

29

so you, when you see all this come about, are to know that it is near, at your very doors.

30

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

31

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

32

But as for that day and that hour you speak of, they are known to nobody, not even to the angels in heaven, not even to the Son; only the Father knows them.

33

Look well to it; watch and pray; you do not know when the time is to come.✻

34

It is as if a man going on his travels had left his house, entrusting authority to his servants, each of them to do his own work, and enjoining the door-keeper to watch.

35

Be on the watch, then, since you do not know when the master of the house is coming, at twilight, or midnight, or cock-crow, or dawn;

36

if not, he may come suddenly, and find you asleep.

37

And what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.