1 And Jesus left the temple, and was going away, when His disciples came up to Him, to show Him the temple buildings.
2 But He answered them, "Do you see all these things? I solemnly say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be torn down."
3 While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came up to Him by themselves, and said, "Tell us when this is to take place, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age."
4 Jesus answered, "Look out that no one misleads you about it,
5 for many will come bearing the name of the Messiah, and saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many people.
6 You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars; take care not to be scared out of your wits. They have to come, but that is not the end yet.
7 For nation will go to war with nation, and kingdom with kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places.
8 But all this is but the beginning of the agonies.
9 At that time they will turn you over to torture, and will murder you, and you will be hated by all the heathen, because you bear my name.
10 Then many will fall by the way, and will betray one another and hate one another.
11 Many false prophets will appear and mislead many people;
12 and because of the increasing crime wave, most people's love will grow cold.
13 But whoever bears up to the end will be saved.
14 And this good news of the kingdom must be preached all over the inhabited world, for a testimony to all the heathen, and then the end will come.
15 "So when you see the destructive desecration, mentioned by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place" -- let the reader take notice --
16 "then let those who remain in Judea fly to the hills;
17 let him who is on the roof of his house not come down to get his household goods out;
18 let him who is in the field not turn back to get his coat.
19 Alas for women who are expectant mothers and those who have nursing babies in those days!
20 And pray for your flight not to be in winter or on the Sabbath,
21 for there will be greater misery at that time than ever has been since the world began, or ever will be again.
22 And if those days had not been cut short, nobody would have escaped, but for the sake of God's chosen people those days will be cut short.
23 "If anyone at that time says to you, 'Here is the Christ!' or 'There He is!' do not believe it,
24 for false Christs and false prophets will announce themselves, and they will show great signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, God's chosen people.
25 Remember, I have told you beforehand.
26 So if they say to you, 'Here He is in the desert,' do not go out to see. Or 'Here He is in some secret place,' do not believe it.
27 For just as the lightning starts in the east and flashes clear to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.
28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will flock.
29 "And immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not shed its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the sky will be shaken.
30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the nations of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky in overwhelming power and splendor.
31 And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His chosen people from the four points of the compass, from one end of the sky to the other.
32 "Now learn what the story of the fig tree means. Just as soon as its branches grow tender, and put forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 So when you see all these things, you will know that He is right at your door.
34 I solemnly say to you, the present age will not pass away before all this takes place.
35 Sky and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.
36 But about that day or hour not a single one knows -- not even the angels in heaven or the Son; not a single one but the Father alone.
37 For just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For just as in the days before the Flood people went on eating and drinking, marrying and being married, until the very day Noah entered the ark,
39 and knew nothing about it until the Flood came and swept them all away, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken, one will be left.
41 Two women will be grinding with the handmill; one will be taken, one will be left.
42 So keep on watching, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43 But be sure of this, that if the master of the house had known in exactly what part of the night the thief would come, he would have been on guard and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 So you, too, must continue to be ready, for at an hour you are not expecting Him the Son of Man will come.
45 "Who then is the faithful and thoughtful slave, whom his master put in charge of his household, to deal out to the members of it their supplies at the proper time?
46 Blessed is that slave if, when his master comes back, he finds him so doing.
47 I solemnly say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
48 But if the slave is bad and says to himself, 'My master is going to be gone a long time,'
49 and begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and keeps on eating and drinking with those who get drunk,
50 the master of that slave will come on the very day he is not expecting him,
51 and will cut him in two, and give him his share with the hypocrites, where they will weep and grind their teeth."