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The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(A)

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”(B)

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives(C) opposite the temple, Peter, James, John(D) and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.(E) Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 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.

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.(F) 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.(G)

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.(H) 13 Everyone will hate you because of me,(I) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(J)

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a](K) standing where it[b] 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!(L) 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,(M) until now—and never to be equaled again.(N)

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.(O) 22 For false messiahs and false prophets(P) will appear and perform signs and wonders(Q) to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard;(R) 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.’[c](S)

26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds(T) 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.(U)

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[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation(V) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(W) 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(X)

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.(Y) 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]!(Z) 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(AA) 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!’”(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:14 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
  2. Mark 13:14 Or he
  3. Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
  4. Mark 13:29 Or he
  5. Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts alert and pray

Things to Come

13 (A)As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples *said to Him, “Teacher, look! [a]What wonderful stones and [b]what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? (B)Not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

As He was sitting on (C)the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, (D)Peter, [c]James, John, and Andrew were questioning Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things come about, and what will be the [d]sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying, ‘(E)I am He!’ and they will mislead many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are only the beginning of birth pains.

“But [e]be on your guard; for they will (F)hand you over to the [f]courts, and you will be flogged (G)in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10 (H)And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 (I)And when they [g]arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time; for you are not the ones speaking, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and [h]have them put to death. 13 And (J)you will be hated by everyone because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

14 “Now (K)when you see the (L)abomination of desolation standing where it should not be—[i]let the [j]reader understand—then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 [k](M)Whoever is on the [l]housetop must not go down, nor go in to get anything out of his house. 16 And [m]whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 17 But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 Moreover, pray that it will not happen in winter. 19 For those days will be such a time of tribulation as has not occurred (N)since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will again. 20 And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no [n]life would have been saved; but for the sake of the [o]elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the [p]Christ’; or, ‘Look, there He is’; do not believe it; 22 for false christs and (O)false prophets will arise, and will provide (P)signs and (Q)wonders, in order to mislead, if possible, the elect. 23 But beware; I have told you everything in advance.

The Return of Christ

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, (R)the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, 25 (S)and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see (T)the Son of Man (U)coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send forth the angels, and (V)will gather together His [q]elect from the four winds, (W)from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you too, when you see these things happening, [r]recognize that [s]He is near, right at the [t]door. 30 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 (X)But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

33 “Watch out, (Y)stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. 34 (Z)It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and [u]putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 Therefore, (AA)stay alert—for you do not know when the [v]master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or (AB)when the rooster crows, or (AC)in the morning— 36 so that he does not come suddenly and find you (AD)asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all: ‘(AE)Stay alert!’”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:1 Or How great the
  2. Mark 13:1 Or How great the
  3. Mark 13:3 Or Jacob
  4. Mark 13:4 I.e., confirming miracle
  5. Mark 13:9 Lit look to yourselves
  6. Mark 13:9 Or Sanhedrin; or Council
  7. Mark 13:11 Lit lead
  8. Mark 13:12 Lit put them to death
  9. Mark 13:14 Or the reader is to understand
  10. Mark 13:14 I.e., of the book of Daniel
  11. Mark 13:15 Lit The one who
  12. Mark 13:15 Housetops were flat living areas
  13. Mark 13:16 Lit The one who
  14. Mark 13:20 Lit flesh
  15. Mark 13:20 Or chosen ones
  16. Mark 13:21 I.e., Messiah
  17. Mark 13:27 Or chosen ones
  18. Mark 13:29 Or know
  19. Mark 13:29 Or it
  20. Mark 13:29 Lit doors
  21. Mark 13:34 Lit giving the authority to
  22. Mark 13:35 Or lord

The temple’s fate

13 As Jesus left the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What awesome stones and buildings!”

Jesus responded, “Do you see these enormous buildings? Not even one stone will be left upon another. All will be demolished.”

Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What sign will show that all these things are about to come to an end?”

Keep watch!

Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many people will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the one!’ They will deceive many people. When you hear of wars and reports of wars, don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet. Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be earthquakes and famines in all sorts of places. These things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end.

“Watch out for yourselves. People will hand you over to the councils. You will be beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me so that you can testify before them. 10 First, the good news must be proclaimed to all the nations. 11 When they haul you in and hand you over, don’t worry ahead of time about what to answer or say. Instead, say whatever is given to you at that moment, for you aren’t doing the speaking but the Holy Spirit is. 12 Brothers and sisters will hand each other over to death. A father will turn in his children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them executed. 13 Everyone will hate you because of my name. But whoever stands firm until the end will be saved.

14 “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing standing where it shouldn’t be (the reader should understand this), then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. 15 Those on the roof shouldn’t come down or enter their houses to grab anything. 16 Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. 17 How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. 18 Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter. 19 In those days there will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. 20 If the Lord hadn’t shortened that time, no one would be rescued. But for the sake of the chosen ones, the ones whom God chose, he has cut short the time.

21 “Then if someone says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 22 False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, those whom God has chosen. 23 But you, watch out! I’ve told you everything ahead of time.

24 “In those days, after the suffering of that time, the sun will become dark, and the moon won’t give its light. 25 The stars will fall from the sky, and the planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Human One[a] coming in the clouds with great power and splendor. 27 Then he will send the angels and gather together his chosen people from the four corners of the earth, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

A lesson from the fig tree

28 “Learn this parable from the fig tree. After its branch becomes tender and it sprouts new leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that he’s near, at the door. 30 I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until all these things happen. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.

32 “But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the angels in heaven and not the Son. Only the Father knows. 33 Watch out! Stay alert! You don’t know when the time is coming. 34 It is as if someone took a trip, left the household behind, and put the servants in charge, giving each one a job to do, and told the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know when the head of the household will come,whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows in the early morning or at daybreak. 36 Don’t let him show up when you weren’t expecting and find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to all: Stay alert!”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:26 Or Son of Man

Jesus Speaks about the Future

13 As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”

Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’[a] They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

“When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.[b] 10 For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.[c] 11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 13 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.[d] But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 “The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration[e] standing where he[f] should not be.” (Reader, pay attention!) “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 15 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 16 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 17 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 18 And pray that your flight will not be in winter. 19 For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. 20 In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.

21 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 23 Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!

24 “At that time, after the anguish of those days,

the sun will be darkened,
    the moon will give no light,
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.[g]

26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man[h] coming on the clouds with great power and glory.[i] 27 And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world[j]—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

28 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation[k] will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert[l]!

34 “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. 35 You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. 36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”

Footnotes

  1. 13:6 Greek claiming, ‘I am.’
  2. 13:9 Or But this will be your testimony against them.
  3. 13:10 Or all peoples.
  4. 13:13 Greek on account of my name.
  5. 13:14a Greek the abomination of desolation. See Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11.
  6. 13:14b Or it.
  7. 13:24-25 See Isa 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:10.
  8. 13:26a “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  9. 13:26b See Dan 7:13.
  10. 13:27 Greek from the four winds.
  11. 13:30 Or this age, or this nation.
  12. 13:33 Some manuscripts add and pray.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

13 (A)And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? (B)There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

And as he sat on (C)the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, (D)Peter and James and John and (E)Andrew asked him (F)privately, “Tell us, (G)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, (H)“See that no one leads you astray. (I)Many will come in my name, saying, (J)‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, (K)do not be alarmed. This (L)must take place, but the end is not yet. For (M)nation will rise against nation, and (N)kingdom against kingdom. There will be (O)earthquakes in various places; there will be (P)famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

(Q)“But (R)be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten (S)in synagogues, and you will stand before (T)governors and (U)kings for my sake, (V)to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed (W)to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, (X)do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say (Y)whatever is given you in that hour, (Z)for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 (AA)And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 (AB)And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. (AC)But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation

14 “But when you see (AD)the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be ((AE)let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 (AF)Let the one who is on (AG)the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And (AH)alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be (AI)such (AJ)tribulation as has not been (AK)from the beginning of the creation that (AL)God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for (AM)the sake of the elect, whom (AN)he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And (AO)then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 (AP)For false christs and false prophets will arise and (AQ)perform signs and wonders, (AR)to lead astray, if possible, (AS)the elect. 23 But (AT)be on guard; (AU)I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 “But in those days, after (AV)that tribulation, (AW)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and (AX)the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see (AY)the Son of Man coming in clouds (AZ)with great power and glory. 27 And then (BA)he will send out the angels and (BB)gather (BC)his elect from (BD)the four winds, from (BE)the ends of the earth (BF)to the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, (BG)at the very gates. 30 (BH)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 (BI)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (BJ)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day or Hour

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, (BK)no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, (BL)nor the Son, (BM)but only the Father. 33 (BN)Be on guard, (BO)keep awake.[a] For you do not know when the time will come. 34 (BP)It is like a man (BQ)going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants[b] in charge, (BR)each with his work, and commands (BS)the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 (BT)Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, (BU)in the evening, or (BV)at midnight, or (BW)when the rooster crows,[c] or (BX)in the morning— 36 lest (BY)he come suddenly and (BZ)find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: (CA)Stay awake.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts add and pray
  2. Mark 13:34 Or bondservants
  3. Mark 13:35 That is, the third watch of the night, between midnight and 3 a.m.