² For you yourselves are fully aware that ^(A)the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then ^(B)sudden destruction will come upon them ^(C)as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you ^(D)are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

Warning Against Worldliness

4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions^[a] are ^(A)at war within you?^{[b] 2} You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask ^(B)wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ^4 (C)You adulterous people!^[c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? ^(D)Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit ^(E)that he has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But ^(F)he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ^(G)“God opposes the proud but ^(H)gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. ^(I)Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8 (J)Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. ^(K)Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and ^(L)purify your hearts, ^(M)you double-minded. ^9 (N)Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ^10 (O)Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

No One Knows That Day or Hour

³² “But concerning that day or that hour, ^(A)no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, ^(B)nor the Son, ^(C)but only the Father. ^33 (D)Be on guard, ^(E)keep awake.^[a] For you do not know when the time will come. ^34 (F)It is like a man ^(G)going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants^[b] in charge, ^(H)each with his work, and commands ^(I)the doorkeeper to stay awake. ^35 (J)Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, ^(K)in the evening, or ^(L)at midnight, or ^(M)when the rooster crows,^[c] or ^(N)in the morning— ³⁶ lest ^(O)he come suddenly and ^(P)find you asleep. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: ^(Q)Stay awake.”

The Destruction of Israel

9 I saw the Lord standing beside^[a] the altar, and he said:

^5 (A)You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord.

^30 (A)And I sought for a man among them ^(B)who should build up the wall ^(C)and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

³ And he said, “Truly, I tell you, ^(A)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 ^(B)poverty put in all ^(C)she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

^5 (D)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, ^(E)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, ^(F)when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, ^(G)“See that you are not led astray. For ^(H)many will come in my name, saying, ^(I)‘I am he!’ and, ^(J)‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. ⁹ And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be ^(K)terrified, for these things ^(L)must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

¹⁰ Then he said to them, ^(M)“Nation will rise against nation, and ^(N)kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great ^(O)earthquakes, and in various places ^(P)famines and pestilences. And there will be ^(Q)terrors and great ^(R)signs from heaven. ¹² But before all this ^(S)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to ^(T)the synagogues and ^(U)prisons, and you ^(V)will be brought before ^(W)kings and ^(X)governors for my name's sake. ^13 (Y)This will be your opportunity to bear witness. ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your minds ^(Z)not to meditate beforehand how to answer, ¹⁵ for ^(AA)I will give you a mouth and ^(AB)wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or ^(AC)contradict. ¹⁶ You will be delivered up ^(AD)even by parents and brothers^[a] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. ^17 (AE)You will be hated by all for my name's sake. ¹⁸ But ^(AF)not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your ^(AG)endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

²⁰ “But ^(AH)when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that ^(AI)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 ^(AJ)days of ^(AK)vengeance, to fulfill ^(AL)all that is written. ^23 (AM)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 ^(AN)wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and ^(AO)be led captive among all nations, and ^(AP)Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, ^(AQ)until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “And ^(AR)there will be signs in sun and moon ^(AS)and stars, and on the earth ^(AT)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 ^(AU)the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see ^(AV)the Son of Man coming in a cloud ^(AW)with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and ^(AX)raise your heads, because ^(AY)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 ^(AZ)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 (BA)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. ^33 (BB)Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^(BC)my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

³⁴ “But watch yourselves ^(BD)lest ^(BE)your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and ^(BF)cares of this life, and ^(BG)that day come upon you suddenly ^(BH)like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But ^(BI)stay awake at all times, ^(BJ)praying that you may ^(BK)have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and ^(BL)to stand before the Son of Man.”

⁴ For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: