^5 (A)And while some were talking about the temple, that it had been adorned with beautiful stones and dedicated gifts, He said, ⁶ “As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which ^(B)there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.”

⁷ So they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the ^[a]sign when these things are about to take place?” ⁸ And He said, “See to it that you are not deceived; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘^(C)I am He,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ ^(D)Do not go after them. ⁹ And when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.”

Signs of Christ’s Return

¹⁰ Then He continued saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, ¹¹ and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be terrors and great ^[b]signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all these things, ^(E)they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, ^[c]bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. ^13 (F)It will result in ^[d]an opportunity for your testimony. ^14 (G)So set in your hearts not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; ¹⁵ for ^(H)I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. ¹⁶ But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, ¹⁷ and you will be hated by all because of My name. ¹⁸ Yet ^(I)not a hair of your head will perish. ^19 (J)By your perseverance you will gain your ^[e]lives.

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem ^(K)surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. ²¹ Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of ^[f]the city must leave, and ^(L)those who are in the countryside must not enter ^[g]the city; ²² because these are ^(M)days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. ²³ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for ^(N)there will be great distress upon the ^[h]land and wrath against this people, ²⁴ and they will fall by ^(O)the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations, and ^(P)Jerusalem will be ^(Q)trampled under foot by the Gentiles until ^(R)the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.