Mark 13
The
Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times
13 As JESUS was leaving the temple, one of HIS
disciples said to HIM, ‘Look, TEACHER! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’
2 ‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied JESUS. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one
will be thrown down.’
3 As JESUS
was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James,
John and Andrew asked HIM privately,
4 ‘Tell us, when will these things
happen? And
what
will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?’
5 JESUS said to them: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you.
6 Many will come in MY name, claiming, ‘I am HE,’ and
will deceive many.
7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be
alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are
the beginning of birth pains.
9 ‘You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local
councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of ME you will stand
before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
10 And THE GOSPEL must first be preached to all nations.
11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not
worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time,
for it is not you speaking, but THE HOLY SPIRIT.
12 ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child.
Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
13 Everyone will hate you because of ME, but the one
who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14 ‘When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’
standing where it
does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea
flee to the mountains.
15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house
to take anything out.
16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.
17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant
women and nursing mothers!
18 Pray that this will not take place in winter,
19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from
the beginning, when GOD
created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
20 ‘If THE
LORD had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the
sake of the elect, whom HE has chosen, HE has shortened them.
21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is THE MESSIAH!’ or,
‘Look, there HE is!’ do not believe it.
22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear
and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything
ahead of time.
24 ‘But in those days, following that distress,
‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the
stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26 ‘At that time people will see THE SON OF MAN coming
in clouds with great power and glory.
27 And HE will send HIS angels and gather HIS elect from the four
winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 ‘Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get
tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know
that it is near, right at the door.
30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly
not pass away until all these things have happened.
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will
never pass away.
The
Day and Hour Unknown
32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the
angels in heaven, nor THE
SON, but only THE FATHER.
33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that
time will come.
34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and
puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the
one at the door to keep watch.
35 ‘Therefore keep watch because you do not know when THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE
will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster
crows, or at dawn.
36 If HE comes suddenly, do not let HIM find you sleeping.
37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
