Mark 13
New International Version - UK
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 rumours 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”[a] 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! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equalled 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 in advance.
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]
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[d] 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[e]! 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 cock 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!”’
Footnotes
- Mark 13:14 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
- Mark 13:14 Or he
- Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
- Mark 13:29 Or he
- Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts alert and pray
Mark 13
New American Standard Bible
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!” 2 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.”
3 As He was sitting on (C)the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, (D)Peter, [c]James, John, and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things come about, and what will be the [d]sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 Many will come in My name, saying, ‘(E)I am He!’ and they will mislead many. 7 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. 8 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.
9 “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
- Mark 13:1 Or How great the
- Mark 13:1 Or How great the
- Mark 13:3 Or Jacob
- Mark 13:4 I.e., confirming miracle
- Mark 13:9 Lit look to yourselves
- Mark 13:9 Or Sanhedrin; or Council
- Mark 13:11 Lit lead
- Mark 13:12 Lit put them to death
- Mark 13:14 Or the reader is to understand
- Mark 13:14 I.e., of the book of Daniel
- Mark 13:15 Lit The one who
- Mark 13:15 Housetops were flat living areas
- Mark 13:16 Lit The one who
- Mark 13:20 Lit flesh
- Mark 13:20 Or chosen ones
- Mark 13:21 I.e., Messiah
- Mark 13:27 Or chosen ones
- Mark 13:29 Or know
- Mark 13:29 Or it
- Mark 13:29 Lit doors
- Mark 13:34 Lit giving the authority to
- Mark 13:35 Or lord
Mark 13
English Standard Version
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!” 2 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
3 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, 4 “Tell us, (G)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, (H)“See that no one leads you astray. 6 (I)Many will come in my name, saying, (J)‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 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. 8 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.
9 (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
- Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts add and pray
- Mark 13:34 Or bondservants
- Mark 13:35 That is, the third watch of the night, between midnight and 3 a.m.
Mark 13
New International Reader's Version
When the Temple Will Be Destroyed and the Signs of the End
13 Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What huge stones! What wonderful buildings!”
2 “Do you see these huge buildings?” Jesus asked. “Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down.”
3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him a question in private. 4 “Tell us,” they said. “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to come true?”
5 Jesus said to them, “Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. 6 Many will come in my name. They will claim, ‘I am he.’ They will fool many people. 7 You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen. But the end still isn’t here. 8 Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places. People will go hungry. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. 10 The good news has to be preached to all nations before the end comes. 11 You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 “Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.
14 “You will see ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. 15 No one on the roof should go down into the house to take anything out. 16 No one in the field should go back to get their coat. 17 How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not happen in winter. 19 Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again.
20 “If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it. 21 At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘Look! There he is!’ Do not believe it. 22 False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. 23 Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time.
24 “So in those days there will be terrible suffering. After that, Scripture says,
“ ‘The sun will be darkened.
The moon will not shine.
25 The stars will fall from the sky.
The heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds. He will come with great power and glory. 27 He will send his angels. He will gather his chosen people from all four directions. He will bring them from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. 30 What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Are Not Known
32 “But no one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. 33 Keep watch! Stay awake! 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 one is given a task to do. He tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn. 36 He may come suddenly. So do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone. ‘Watch!’ ”
Mark 13
Contemporary English Version
The Temple Will Be Destroyed
(Matthew 24.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)
13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these beautiful stones and wonderful buildings!”
2 Jesus replied, “Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”
Warning about Trouble
(Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19)
3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4 (A) They asked, “When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
5 Jesus answered:
Watch out and don't let anyone fool you! 6 Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and fool many people.
7 When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. 8 Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles.
9 (B) Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their synagogues. And because of me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith. 10 But before the end comes, the good news must be preached to all nations.
11 When you are arrested, don't worry about what you will say. You will be given the right words when the time comes. But you will not really be the ones speaking. Your words will come from the Holy Spirit.
12 Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 13 (C) Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.
The Horrible Thing
(Matthew 24.15-21; Luke 21.20-24)
14 (D) Someday you will see that “Horrible Thing” where it should not be.[a] Everyone who reads this must try to understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. 15 (E) If you are on the roof[b] of your house, don't go inside to get anything. 16 If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 17 It will be an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 18 Pray that it won't happen in winter.[c] 19 (F) This will be the worst time of suffering since God created the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. 20 If the Lord doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of his chosen and special ones, he will make the time shorter.
21 If someone should say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” don't believe it. 22 False messiahs and false prophets will come and work miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. 23 But be on your guard! That's why I am telling you these things now.
When the Son of Man Appears
(Matthew 24.29-31; Luke 21.25-28)
24 (G) In those days, right after this time of suffering,
“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
25 (H) The stars will fall,
and the powers in the sky[d]
will be shaken.”
26 (I) Then the Son of Man will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.
A Lesson from a Fig Tree
(Matthew 24.32-35; Luke 21.29-33)
28 Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. 29 So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come.[e] 30 You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. 31 The sky and the earth will not last forever, but my words will.
No One Knows the Day or Time
(Matthew 24.36-44)
32 (J) No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know. Only the Father knows. 33 So watch out and be ready! You don't know when the time will come. 34 (K) It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert. 35 So be alert! You don't know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning. 36 But if he comes suddenly, don't let him find you asleep. 37 I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert!
Footnotes
- 13.14 where it should not be: Probably the holy place in the temple.
- 13.15 roof: See the note at 2.4.
- 13.18 in winter: In Palestine the winters are cold and rainy and make travel difficult.
- 13.25 the powers in the sky: In ancient times people thought that the stars were spiritual powers.
- 13.29 the time has almost come: Or “he (that is, the Son of Man) will soon be here.”
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
