Luke 21:20-36

New American Standard Bible

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem ^(A)surrounded by armies, then ^[a]recognize that her desolation is near. ²¹ Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside ^[b]the city must leave, and ^(B)those who are in the country must not enter ^[c]the city; ²² because these are ^(C)days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for ^(D)there will be great distress upon the ^[d]land, and wrath to this people; ²⁴ and they will fall by ^(E)the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and ^(F)Jerusalem will be ^(G)trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until ^(H)the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Return of Christ

²⁵ “There will be ^[e]signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the ^[f]world; for the powers of ^[g]the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And ^(I)then they will see ^(J)the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because ^(K)your redemption is drawing near.”

²⁹ And He told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees: ³⁰ as soon as they put forth leaves, you see for yourselves and ^(L)know that summer is now near. ³¹ So you too, when you see these things happening, ^[h]recognize that ^(M)the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. ^33 (N)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

³⁴ “But ^(O)be on your guard, so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that ^[i]this day will not come on you suddenly, like a trap; ³⁵ for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ But ^(P)stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to ^(Q)stand before the Son of Man.”