Luke 21
English Standard Version
The Widow's Offering
21 (A)Jesus[a] looked up and saw the rich (B)putting their gifts into (C)the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two (D)small copper coins.[b] 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, (E)this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her (F)poverty put in all (G)she had to live on.”
Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple
5 (H)And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, (I)the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, (J)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, (K)“See that you are not led astray. For (L)many will come in my name, saying, (M)‘I am he!’ and, (N)‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be (O)terrified, for these things (P)must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”
Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution
10 Then he said to them, (Q)“Nation will rise against nation, and (R)kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great (S)earthquakes, and in various places (T)famines and pestilences. And there will be (U)terrors and great (V)signs from heaven. 12 But before all this (W)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to (X)the synagogues and (Y)prisons, and you (Z)will be brought before (AA)kings and (AB)governors for my name's sake. 13 (AC)This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds (AD)not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for (AE)I will give you a mouth and (AF)wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or (AG)contradict. 16 You will be delivered up (AH)even by parents and brothers[c] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 (AI)You will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But (AJ)not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your (AK)endurance you will gain your lives.
Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem
20 “But (AL)when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that (AM)its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are (AN)days of (AO)vengeance, to fulfill (AP)all that is written. 23 (AQ)Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and (AR)wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and (AS)be led captive among all nations, and (AT)Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, (AU)until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Coming of the Son of Man
25 “And (AV)there will be signs in sun and moon (AW)and stars, and on the earth (AX)distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For (AY)the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see (AZ)the Son of Man coming in a cloud (BA)with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and (BB)raise your heads, because (BC)your redemption is drawing near.”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see (BD)for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 (BE)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 (BF)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (BG)my words will not pass away.
Watch Yourselves
34 “But watch yourselves (BH)lest (BI)your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and (BJ)cares of this life, and (BK)that day come upon you suddenly (BL)like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But (BM)stay awake at all times, (BN)praying that you may (BO)have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and (BP)to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 And (BQ)every day he was teaching in the temple, but (BR)at night he went out and lodged on (BS)the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning (BT)all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.
Footnotes
- Luke 21:1 Greek He
- Luke 21:2 Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
- Luke 21:16 Or parents and brothers and sisters
Luke 21
Names of God Bible
A Widow’s Contribution(A)
21 Looking up, Yeshua saw people, especially the rich, dropping their gifts into the temple offering box. 2 He noticed a poor widow drop in two small coins. 3 He said, “I can guarantee this truth: This poor widow has given more than all the others. 4 All of these people have given what they could spare. But she, in her poverty, has given everything she had to live on.”
Jesus Teaches His Disciples(B)
5 Some of the disciples were talking about the temple complex. They noted that it was built with fine stones and decorated with beautiful gifts. So Yeshua said, 6 “About these buildings that you see—the time will come when not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down.”
7 The disciples asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will occur?”
8 Yeshua said, “Be careful that you are not deceived. Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them!
9 “When you hear of wars and revolutions, don’t be terrified! These things must happen first, but the end will not come immediately.”
10 Then Yeshua continued, “Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and dreadful diseases in various places. Terrifying sights and miraculous signs will come from the sky.
12 “Before all these things happen, people will arrest and persecute you. They will hand you over to their synagogues and put you into their prisons. They will drag you in front of kings and governors because of my name. 13 It will be your opportunity to testify to them. 14 So make up your minds not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 I will give you words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to oppose or prove wrong.
16 “Even parents, brothers, relatives, and friends will betray you and kill some of you. 17 Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. 18 But not a hair on your head will be lost. 19 By your endurance you will save your life.
20 “When you see armies camped around Jerusalem, realize that the time is near for it to be destroyed. 21 Then those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. Those of you in Jerusalem should leave it. Those of you in the fields shouldn’t go back into them. 22 This will be a time of vengeance. Everything that is written about it will come true.
23 “How horrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. Indeed, the land will suffer very hard times, and its people will be punished. 24 Swords will cut them down, and they will be carried off into all nations as prisoners. Nations will trample Jerusalem until the times allowed for the nations to do this are over.
25 “Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint as they fearfully wait for what will happen to the world. Indeed, the powers of the universe will be shaken.
27 “Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 “When these things begin to happen, stand with confidence! The time when you will be set free is near.”
29 Then Yeshua used this story as an illustration. “Look at the fig tree or any other tree. 30 As soon as leaves grow on them, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things happen, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “I can guarantee this truth: This generation will not disappear until all this takes place. 33 The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
No One Knows When the Earth and the Heavens Will Disappear
34 “Make sure that you don’t become drunk, hung over, and worried about life. Then that day could suddenly catch you by surprise 35 like a trap that catches a bird. That day will surprise all people who live on the earth. 36 Be alert at all times. Pray so that you have the power to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand in front of the Son of Man.”
37 During the day Yeshua would teach in the temple courtyard. But at night he would go to the Mount of Olives (as it was called) and spend the night there. 38 All of the people would get up early to hear him speak in the temple courtyard.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.