² for you know very well that the day of the Lord^(A) will come like a thief in the night.^{(B) 3} While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”^(C) destruction will come on them suddenly,^(D) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.^(E)

⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness^(F) so that this day should surprise you like a thief.^(G)

Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels^(A) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle^(B) within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill.^(C) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive,^(D) because you ask with wrong motives,^(E) that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous^(F) people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world^(G) means enmity against God?^(H) Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.^{(I) 5} Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]?^{(J) 6} But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,^(L) and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you.^(M) Wash your hands,^(N) you sinners, and purify your hearts,^(O) you double-minded.^{(P) 9} Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.^{(Q) 10} Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.^(R)

Israel to Be Destroyed

9 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:

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.^{(A) 33} Be on guard! Be alert^[a]!^(B) 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^(C) 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!’”^(D)

⁵ You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair^(A) it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.^(B)

³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”^(A)

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times^(B)(C)

⁵ Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ⁶ “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another;^(D) every one of them will be thrown down.”

⁷ “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

⁸ He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.^{(E) 9} When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”

¹⁰ Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^{(F) 11} There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.^(G)

¹² “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. ¹³ And so you will bear testimony to me.^{(H) 14} But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.^{(I) 15} For I will give you^(J) words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends,^(K) and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ Everyone will hate you because of me.^{(L) 18} But not a hair of your head will perish.^{(M) 19} Stand firm, and you will win life.^(N)

²⁰ “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies,^(O) you will know that its desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.^{(P) 22} For this is the time of punishment^(Q) in fulfillment^(R) of all that has been written. ²³ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled^(S) on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵ “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.^{(T) 26} People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.^{(U) 27} At that time they will see the Son of Man^(V) coming in a cloud^(W) with power and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”^(X)

²⁹ He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God^(Y) is near.

³² “Truly I tell you, this generation^(Z) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.^(AA)

³⁴ “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life,^(AB) and that day will close on you suddenly^(AC) like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Be always on the watch, and pray^(AD) that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

⁴ This is what the Lord says to Israel: