The Widow’s Gift

21 (A)Now He looked up and saw the wealthy putting their gifts into the temple treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting [a]in (B)two [b]lepta coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all [c]contributed to the [d]offering from their [e]surplus; but she, from her poverty, put in all [f]that she had (C)to live on.”

(D)And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and [g]vowed gifts, He said, As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when (E)there will not be left one stone upon [h]another, which will not be torn down.”

They asked Him questions, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the [i]sign when these things are about to take place?” And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘(F)I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ (G)Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and revolts, do not be alarmed; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”

Things to Come

10 Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, 11 and there will be [j]massive earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrible sights and great [k]signs from heaven.

12 “But before all these things, (H)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, [l]bringing you before kings and governors on account of My name. 13 (I)It will lead to [m]an opportunity for your testimony. 14 (J)So [n]make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; 15 for (K)I will provide you [o]eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute. 16 But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all people because of My name. 18 And yet (L)not a hair of your head will perish. 19 (M)By your endurance you will gain your [p]lives.

20 “But when you see Jerusalem (N)surrounded by armies, then [q]recognize that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside [r]the city must leave, and (O)those who are in the country must not enter [s]the city; 22 because these are (P)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 (Q)there will be great distress upon the [t]land, and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by (R)the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and (S)Jerusalem will be (T)trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until (U)the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Return of Christ

25 “There will be [u]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 [v]world; for the powers of [w]the heavens will be shaken. 27 And (V)then they will see (W)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 (X)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 (Y)know that summer is now near. 31 So you too, when you see these things happening, [x]recognize that (Z)the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. 33 (AA)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

34 “But (AB)be on your guard, so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that [y]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 (AC)stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to (AD)stand before the Son of Man.”

37 Now [z]during the day He was (AE)teaching in the temple, but [aa](AF)at evening He would go out and spend the night on (AG)the [ab]mountain that is called [ac]Olivet. 38 And all the people would get up (AH)very early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 21:2 Lit there
  2. Luke 21:2 The smallest Greek copper coin, about 1/128 of a laborer’s daily wage
  3. Luke 21:4 Lit put into
  4. Luke 21:4 Lit gifts
  5. Luke 21:4 Lit abundance
  6. Luke 21:4 Lit the living that she had
  7. Luke 21:5 I.e., gifts promised by vows
  8. Luke 21:6 Lit a stone
  9. Luke 21:7 I.e., confirming miracle
  10. Luke 21:11 Lit great
  11. Luke 21:11 I.e., confirming miracles
  12. Luke 21:12 Lit being brought
  13. Luke 21:13 Lit a testimony for you
  14. Luke 21:14 Lit put in your hearts
  15. Luke 21:15 Lit a mouth
  16. Luke 21:19 Lit souls
  17. Luke 21:20 Lit know
  18. Luke 21:21 Lit her
  19. Luke 21:21 Lit her
  20. Luke 21:23 Or earth
  21. Luke 21:25 I.e., confirming miracles
  22. Luke 21:26 Lit inhabited earth
  23. Luke 21:26 Or heaven
  24. Luke 21:31 Lit know
  25. Luke 21:34 Lit that day
  26. Luke 21:37 Lit days
  27. Luke 21:37 Lit nights
  28. Luke 21:37 Or hill
  29. Luke 21:37 Or Olive Grove

Jesus Uses The Widow’s Offering To Illustrate True Giving

21 And having looked-up, He saw the rich ones throwing their gifts into the treasury[a]. And He saw a certain needy widow throwing two leptos[b] there. And He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow threw more than all. For all these ones threw into the gifts out of the money abounding[c] to them. But this one, out of her lack[d], threw all the living[e] which she was having.

Jesus Says The Temple Will Be Destroyed. The Disciples Ask, When?

And while some were talking about the temple— that it has been adorned with beautiful stones and gifts-dedicated-to-God— He said, As to these things which you are observing, days will come during which a stone on a stone will not be left which will not be torn-down[f]”. And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

Do Not Be Deceived By False Christs Or Frightened By Wars And Disturbances

And the One said, “Be watching-out that you may not be deceived. For many will come on the basis of My name, saying ‘I am[g] the One’, and ‘The time has drawn-near’. Do not go after them. And whenever you hear-of wars and disturbances[h], do not be frightened. For these things must take place first, but it is not immediately the end”.

There Will Be Disasters On Earth And Great Signs From Heaven

10 Then He was saying to them, “Nation will arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be both great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places. There will be both fearful[i] things and great signs from heaven.

But Before All This, You Will Be Imprisoned

12 “But before all these things, they will put their hands on you and persecute youthey handing you over to the synagogues and prisons, you being led-away before kings and governors for-the-sake-of [j] My name. 13 It will turn-out for you to be for a testimony. 14 So put in your hearts not to prepare-beforehand to speak-a-defense. 15 For I will give you a mouth, and wisdom which all the ones being opposed to you will not be able to resist or to speak-against[k]. 16 And you will be handed-over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends. And they will put some of you to death. 17 And you will be being hated by all because of My name. 18 And a hair of your head will by no means be[l] lost. 19 Gain[m] your souls[n] by your endurance.

And You Will See Days of Vengeance And Wrath Against This People

20 “But when you see Jerusalem being surrounded by army-encampments, then recognize that her desolation has drawn-near. 21 Then[o] let the ones in Judea be fleeing to the mountains. And let the ones in the midst of her[p] be going-out. And let the ones in the fields not be entering into her. 22 Because these are days of vengeance, that all the things having been written may be fulfilled. 23 Woe to the ones having a child in the womb, and to the ones nursing in those days. For there will be a great distress[q] upon the land, and wrath against this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword. And they will be taken-captive to all the nations. And Jerusalem will be being trampled[r] by the Gentiles[s] until which time the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Then They Will See The Son Coming On The Clouds With Great Glory

25 “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on earth the anguish of nations in perplexity about the roar of the sea and wave-tossing— 26 people fainting[t] from fear and the expectation of the things coming-upon the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then[u] they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now [when] these things [are] beginning to take place, straighten-up and lift-up your heads, because your redemption is drawing-near”.

The Parable of The Fig Tree: When You See This You Know The Kingdom Is Near

29 And He spoke a parable to them: “Look at the fig-tree, and all the trees. 30 When they already put-forth leaves, seeing it, you know from[v] yourselves that summer is already near. 31 So also you— when you see these things taking place, you know[w] that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I say to you that this generation[x] will by no means pass away until all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by-no-means pass away.

Be Prepared And Keep Alert

34 “But take heed to yourselves that your hearts may not at any time be weighed-down with carousing and drunkenness and anxieties[y] pertaining-to-life, and that unexpected[z] day suddenly-come-upon[aa] you 35 like a snare. For it will come-in-upon all the ones sitting on the face of all the earth. 36 And be keeping-alert[ab] in every season, praying that you may have strength to escape[ac] all these things being about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man”.

Jesus Spends His Days In The Temple and His Nights On The Mount of Olives

37 Now as to the days, He was teaching in the temple. But as to the nights, going out [of Jerusalem], He was spending-the-night on the mountain being called ‘of Olives’. 38 And all the people were arising-very-early[ad] to come to Him in the temple to hear Him.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 21:1 See Mk 12:41.
  2. Luke 21:2 This copper coin was the smallest denomination of Jewish coins, 1/128th of a denarius.
  3. Luke 21:4 Or, overflowing, being left over.
  4. Luke 21:4 Or, shortcoming, deficiency. That is, out of what was already not enough.
  5. Luke 21:4 That is, means-of-living.
  6. Luke 21:6 Or, destroyed, demolished, done-away-with.
  7. Luke 21:8 Or, I am He. That is, I am the Messiah.
  8. Luke 21:9 Or, insurrections, instabilities.
  9. Luke 21:11 Or, terrors, horrors. That is, fearful sights or events.
  10. Luke 21:12 That is, from your point of view. Or, because-of, from the persecutor’s point of view.
  11. Luke 21:15 Or, contradict.
  12. Luke 21:18 Or, perish. That is, eternally; or, without God’s permission.
  13. Luke 21:19 Or, Acquire, Obtain, Get.
  14. Luke 21:19 Or, lives. That is, your eternal lives with God.
  15. Luke 21:21 Or, At that time. See Mt 24:9.
  16. Luke 21:21 That is, Jerusalem.
  17. Luke 21:23 Or, calamity, trouble.
  18. Luke 21:24 Or, tread-on.
  19. Luke 21:24 Or, nations.
  20. Luke 21:26 Or, expiring (dying).
  21. Luke 21:27 Or, at that time.
  22. Luke 21:30 That is, from your own knowledge and experience.
  23. Luke 21:31 Or, know that (a command).
  24. Luke 21:32 See Mt 24:34.
  25. Luke 21:34 Or, worries, cares.
  26. Luke 21:34 Or, unforeseen, sudden.
  27. Luke 21:34 Or, spring-upon.
  28. Luke 21:36 Or, keeping-alert, praying in every season.
  29. Luke 21:36 Or, flee-from.
  30. Luke 21:38 That is, before dawn.