22 Then he told the disciples, “The days are coming(A) when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it.(B) 23 They will say to you,(C) ‘See there!’ or ‘See here!’ Don’t follow or run after them.(D) 24 For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in his day.(E) 25 But first it is necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.(F)

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah,(G) so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: 27 People went on eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage(H) until the day Noah boarded the ark,(I) and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot:(J) People went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. 29 But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed(K) them all. 30 It(L) will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed.(M) 31 On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife!(N) 33 Whoever tries to make his life secure[a][b] will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.(O) 34 I tell you, on that night(P) two will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”[c]

37 “Where, Lord?” (Q) they asked him.

He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there also the vultures(R) will be gathered.”

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Footnotes

  1. 17:33 Other mss read to save his life
  2. 17:33 Or tries to retain his life
  3. 17:35 Some mss include v. 36: “Two will be in a field: One will be taken, and the other will be left.”

22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns,[a] but you won’t see it. 23 People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day[b] when the Son of Man comes. 25 But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly[c] and be rejected by this generation.

26 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27 In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34 That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.[d]

37 “Where will this happen, Lord?”[e] the disciples asked.

Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”[f]

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Footnotes

  1. 17:22 Or long for even one day with the Son of Man. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  2. 17:24 Some manuscripts do not include on the day.
  3. 17:25 Or suffer many things.
  4. 17:35 Some manuscripts add verse 36, Two men will be working in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Compare Matt 24:40.
  5. 17:37a Greek “Where, Lord?”
  6. 17:37b Greek “Wherever the carcass is, the vultures gather.”