1JESUS left the Temple courts and was going away when his disciples came to point out to him the Temple buildings. 2He answered them, "Do you not see all these things? I tell you truly there will not be left here one stone upon another which will not be thrown down." 3While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, "Tell us when these things will be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?" 4Jesus answered them, "Make sure that no one misleads you. 5For many will come in my name and will say, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6You will soon hear of wars and rumors of wars. Take care and do not be alarmed, for such things must be; but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes here and there. 8All of these things are the beginnings of birth-pangs. 9Then they will deliver you up to persecution and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the Gentiles on account of my name. 10Then many will stumble and fall and will betray one another and will hate one another. 11Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray, 12and because of the wide spread of lawlessness the love of most will grow cold. 13But he who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the inhabited world for a testimony to all the Gentiles. And then will come the end. 15"So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy placeLet the reader understand, 16then those who are in Judaea are to flee to the mountains; 17he who is on the house is not to go down to take the things out of his house, 18and he who is in the field is not to turn back and take his cloak. 19Alas, for the women with child and the nursing mothers in those days! 20Pray that your flight may not be in the winter nor on the Sabbath. 21For there will be then great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be again. 22"Unless those days had been shortened none would be saved; but for the sake of the chosen those days will be shortened. 23Then if any one says to you, 'See, here is the Christ,' or 'here,' do not believe him. 24For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen. 25See, I have told you beforehand. 26So, if they say to you, 'He is in the wilderness,' do not go out there. If they say, 'in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines across to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28Wherever the carcass is, there will the vultures flock together. 29"Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 30And then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. Then will all the tribes of the earth beat their breasts for grief, and they will see the Son of Man as he comes on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet-blast, and they will gather his chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32"From the fig tree take an illustration. When now its branch becomes soft and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near. 33Just so when you see all these things, know that he is near \'97 at the door. 34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away before all these things happen. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 36But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, not even the Son, but the Father alone. 37For, as the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38As in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah went into the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40Then there will be two men in the field. One will be taken with him and one will be left. 41There will be two women grinding at the mill. One will be taken with him and one will be left. 42Watch, therefore, for you do not know what day your Master is coming. 43But this you do know, that if the householder had known in which watch the thief was coming he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore be you also ready, for in an hour that you do not think the Son of Man is coming. 45Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has placed over his household to give them food in due season? 46Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47I tell you truly that he will place him over all that he owns. 48But if that wicked servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying,' 49and begins to strike his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken, 50the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not expecting and at an hour when he is unaware, 51and will cut him asunder and assign his part with the hypocrites. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.