¹¹ and said, ^(A)“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, ^(B)will ^(C)come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

⁴² And ^(A)he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify ^(B)that he is the one appointed by God to be judge ^(C)of the living and the dead.

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(A)that you may not grieve as others do ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(C)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(D)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(E)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(F)we who are alive, who are left until ^(G)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(H)the Lord himself will descend ^(I)from heaven ^(J)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(K)an archangel, and ^(L)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(M)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(N)caught up together with them ^(O)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(P)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning ^(Q)the times and the seasons, brothers,^{[b] (R)}you have no need to have anything written to you. ² For you yourselves are fully aware that ^(S)the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then ^(T)sudden destruction will come upon them ^(U)as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you ^(V)are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all ^(W)children^[c] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶ So then ^(X)let us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^(Y)keep awake and ^(Z)be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, ^(AA)are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, ^(AB)having put on the breastplate of ^(AC)faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for ^(AD)wrath, but ^(AE)to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (AF)who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

²¹ For as the Father ^(A)raises the dead and ^(B)gives them life, so ^(C)also the Son gives life ^(D)to whom he will. ^22 (E)For the Father judges no one, but ^(F)has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all may honor the Son, just as they ^(G)honor the Father. ^(H)Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(I)whoever hears my word and ^(J)believes him who sent me has eternal life. He ^(K)does not come into judgment, but ^(L)has passed from death to life.

²⁵ “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(M)an hour is coming, and is now here, when ^(N)the dead will hear ^(O)the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear ^(P)will live. ^26 (Q)For as the Father has life in himself, ^(R)so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he ^(S)has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for ^(T)an hour is coming when ^(U)all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, ^(V)those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

² And many of those who ^(A)sleep in ^(B)the dust of the earth shall ^(C)awake, ^(D)some to everlasting life, and ^(E)some to shame and everlasting contempt.

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into ^(A)the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, ^(B)“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed is ^(C)the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are ^(D)the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. ^(E)The harvest is ^(F)the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds ^(G)are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at ^(H)the end of the age. ^41 (I)The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all ^(J)causes of sin and ^(K)all law-breakers, ^42 (L)and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place ^(M)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then ^(N)the righteous will shine like the sun ^(O)in the kingdom of their Father. ^(P)He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven ^(Q)is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy ^(R)he goes and sells all that he has and ^(S)buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶ who, on finding ^(T)one pearl of great value, ^(U)went and sold all that he had and ^(V)bought it.

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is ^(W)like a net that was thrown into the sea and ^(X)gathered fish of every kind. ⁴⁸ When it was full, ^(Y)men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. ⁴⁹ So it will be at ^(Z)the end of the age. The angels will come out and ^(AA)separate the evil from the righteous ^50 (AB)and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place ^(AC)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

³¹ And ^(A)he will send out his angels with a loud ^(B)trumpet call, and they will ^(C)gather ^(D)his elect from ^(E)the four winds, ^(F)from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

³² “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. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, ^(G)at the very gates. ^34 (H)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ^35 (I)Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^(J)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

³⁶ “But concerning that day and hour ^(K)no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, ^(L)nor the Son,^{[a] (M)}but the Father only. ^37 (N)For as were the days of Noah, ^(O)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ^38 (P)For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, ^(Q)marrying and giving in marriage, until ^(R)the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, ^(S)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ^41 (T)Two women will be grinding ^(U)at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore, ^(V)stay awake, for you do not know on what day ^(W)your Lord is coming. ^43 (X)But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night ^(Y)the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ^(Z)ready, for ^(AA)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

⁴⁵ “Who then is ^(AB)the faithful and ^(AC)wise servant,^[b] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ^46 (AD)Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

³⁶ Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that ^(A)sower and ^(B)reaper ^(C)may rejoice together.

²⁸ Do not marvel at this, for ^(A)an hour is coming when ^(B)all who are in the tombs will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out, ^(C)those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.