Luke 21
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 21
The Poor Widow’s Offering.[a] 1 Looking up, Jesus saw wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury, 2 and he also noticed a poor widow putting in two copper coins. 3 He said: “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has given more than all the rest. 4 For the others have all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has given all that she had to live on.”
The Destruction of the Temple and the Return of Christ[b]
Jesus Announces the Destruction of the Temple.[c] When some people were talking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings, Jesus remarked, 6 “As for all these things that you are gazing at now, the time will come when not one stone here will be left upon another; everything will be thrown down.”The Signs of the End.[d] 7 They then asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what will be the sign that it is about to take place?” 8 He answered, “Take care not to be deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for those things are bound to take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”
10 Then he added, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be tremendous earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places, as well as dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12 The Coming Persecution.“But before all this happens, they will seize you and persecute you. You will be handed over to synagogues and imprisoned, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to bear witness to me. 14 But do not even consider preparing your defense beforehand, 15 for I myself will give you a depth of wisdom and eloquence that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16 “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair of your head will be lost. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.
20 The Great Trial.[e]“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you may be certain that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are within the city must escape from its boundaries, and those who are in country areas must not return. 22 For those will be days of retribution when all that is written will come to pass.
23 “Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing infants in those days. For there will be great distress on the earth, and terrible wrath shall afflict this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and be carried away as captives among all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled.
25 The Coming of the Son of Man.[f]“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in great distress, bewildered at the roaring of the sea and its waves. 26 Men will grow faint with terror and apprehension at what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, look up and hold your heads high, because the time of your redemption is drawing near.”
29 The Parable of the Fig Tree. Then he told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree or indeed at any other tree. 30 As soon as it begins to bud, you know that summer is already near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.[g] 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 Exhortation To Be Vigilant.[h]“Be on your guard lest your hearts be weighed down by carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of this life and that day will catch you unawares, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone in the world. 36 Be vigilant at all times, praying for the strength to survive all those things that will take place and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”
37 Jesus’ Last Days in Jerusalem.[i] Each day Jesus was teaching in the temple, but every evening he would go forth and spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. 38 And all the people would rise early every morning to listen to him in the temple.
Footnotes
- Luke 21:1 See note on Mk 12:41-44.
- Luke 21:5 Scenes of terror and visions of hope alternate in this great discourse. If we are to understand its tone and vocabulary, we must put ourselves in the atmosphere created by various terrifying and magnificent pages of the Old Testament. On the eve of the catastrophe that destroyed both Jerusalem, for the first time, and the state of Israel in 587 B.C., some prophets had a presentiment of the spiritual ruin of the people and had warned them, with harsh invectives, of future punishments. Later on, people began to ask about the ultimate destiny of the world and humanity; this created a restlessness that was eschatological, that is, concerned with the ultimate end, the last times.
5
In the “apocalypses” or “revelations,” some authors imagined awe-inspiring scenes of wars, disasters, and judgment, which would usher in the coming of God and the salvation of the people. These accounts, which are to be read in accordance with their particular literary genre, always remain bewildering. - Luke 21:5 Around the year 19 B.C., Herod the Great undertook a splendid reconstruction of the temple. The very magnificence of the restored temple caused a sense of self-reliance and presumption (see Lk 13:34-35; 19:46; Jer 7:1-15; 26; Ezek 8:11; Mic 3:9-12).
- Luke 21:7 For a Jew, the destruction of the temple inaugurates the great tribulation of the end times. We understand that the disciples are worried. Jesus gives them signs: those more distant (vv. 10-11) will be taken up again even later on (vv. 25-26); those closer describe the events of the troubled years 66–70: appearances of false messiahs, civil wars and struggles, persecution of Christians. This persecution is a privileged sign of the coming of the kingdom of God, and it is seen to be severe. But let those who bear witness to Christ take courage, for they will not be abandoned. The Passion is the way to glory for the Christian community as it is for the Lord. Courage will be given to them to announce the essence of the message: Jesus Christ dead, risen, and to come.
- Luke 21:20 The evils that overtake the holy city are like a judgment of God upon it. But the tragic fate of Jerusalem and its temple inaugurates the laborious period in which is born the new world until all the pagans have heard the Good News of salvation and Israel itself is converted (see Rom 11:25-27).
- Luke 21:25 At the end of the final crisis, which is described in the violent images dear to the Prophets and the authors of the apocalypses (see Isa 13:10; 24:23; 34:4; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 4:15), Jesus, the victorious Christ, will come to judge the world and deliver those who have remained faithful and are ready to welcome him (see Dan 7:13). The signs, especially persecutions, are pledges of hope and deliverance (see Rom 8:23; Eph 1:14; 4:30).
- Luke 21:32 In the apocalyptic genre, a “generation” signifies an age of the world, a stage in God’s plan.
- Luke 21:34 Since in Luke’s perspective the end of the world is not considered to be imminent, the exhortation to be vigilant voiced here is more pressing so that the delay may not numb the heart of the Christian. At the same time, there is an invitation to pray that the day of the Lord may not come unexpectedly and find us unprepared to appear before the divine Judge.
- Luke 21:37 During the final week of his life (Sunday to Thursday), Jesus taught in the temple in the morning, and all the people came to hear him.
Lucas 21
Nova Versão Transformadora
A oferta da viúva
21 Estando Jesus no templo, observava os ricos depositarem suas contribuições na caixa de ofertas. 2 Então uma viúva pobre veio e colocou duas moedas pequenas.[a]
3 Jesus disse: “Eu lhes digo a verdade: esta viúva pobre deu mais que todos os outros. 4 Eles deram uma parte do que lhes sobrava, mas ela, em sua pobreza, deu tudo que tinha”.
Jesus fala de acontecimentos futuros
5 Alguns de seus discípulos começaram a falar das pedras magníficas e das dádivas que adornavam o templo. Jesus, porém, disse: 6 “Virá o dia em que estas coisas serão completamente demolidas. Não restará pedra sobre pedra!”.
7 Então eles perguntaram: “Mestre, quando isso tudo acontecerá? Que sinal indicará que essas coisas estão prestes a se cumprir?”.
8 Ele respondeu: “Não deixem que ninguém os engane, pois muitos virão em meu nome, dizendo: ‘Eu sou o Cristo’[b] e afirmando: ‘Chegou a hora!’, mas não acreditem neles. 9 E, quando ouvirem falar de guerras e rebeliões, não entrem em pânico. Sim, é necessário que essas coisas aconteçam primeiro, mas ainda não será o fim”. 10 E continuou: “Uma nação guerreará contra a outra, e um reino contra o outro. 11 Haverá grandes terremotos, fome e peste em vários lugares, e acontecimentos terríveis e grandes sinais no céu.
12 “Antes de tudo isso, porém, haverá um tempo de perseguição. Vocês serão arrastados para sinagogas e prisões e, por minha causa, serão julgados diante de reis e governadores. 13 Essa, contudo, será sua oportunidade de lhes falar sobre mim.[c] 14 Mais uma vez lhes digo que não se preocupem com o modo como responderão às acusações contra vocês, 15 pois eu lhes darei as palavras certas e tanta sabedoria que seus adversários não serão capazes de responder nem contradizer. 16 Até mesmo seus pais, irmãos, parentes e amigos os trairão, e até matarão alguns de vocês. 17 Todos os odiarão por minha causa.[d] 18 Mas nem um fio de cabelo de sua cabeça se perderá! 19 É pela perseverança que obterão a vida.
20 “E, quando virem Jerusalém cercada de exércitos, saberão que chegou a hora de sua destruição. 21 Então, quem estiver na Judeia, fuja para os montes. Quem estiver na cidade, saia. E quem estiver no campo, não volte para a cidade. 22 Pois aqueles serão os dias da vingança, e as palavras proféticas das Escrituras se cumprirão. 23 Que dias terríveis serão aqueles para as grávidas e para as mães que estiverem amamentando! Pois haverá calamidade na terra e grande ira contra este povo. 24 Serão mortos pela espada ou levados como prisioneiros para todas as nações do mundo. E Jerusalém será pisoteada pelos gentios até que o tempo deles chegue ao fim.
25 “Haverá sinais no sol, na lua e nas estrelas. E, na terra, as nações ficarão angustiadas, perplexas com o rugir dos mares e a agitação das ondas. 26 As pessoas ficarão aterrorizadas diante do que estará prestes a acontecer na terra, pois os poderes dos céus serão abalados. 27 Então todos verão o Filho do Homem vindo numa nuvem com poder e grande glória.[e] 28 Portanto, quando todas essas coisas começarem a acontecer, levantem-se e ergam a cabeça, pois a sua salvação estará próxima”.
29 Em seguida, deu-lhes esta ilustração: “Observem a figueira, e todas as outras árvores. 30 Quando as folhas aparecem, vocês sabem reconhecer, por conta própria, que o verão está próximo. 31 Da mesma forma, quando virem todas essas coisas acontecerem, saberão que o reino de Deus está próximo. 32 Eu lhes digo a verdade: esta geração[f] não passará até que todas essas coisas tenham acontecido. 33 O céu e a terra desaparecerão, mas as minhas palavras jamais desaparecerão.
34 “Tenham cuidado! Não deixem seu coração se entorpecer com farras e bebedeiras, nem com as preocupações desta vida. Não deixem que esse dia os pegue desprevenidos, 35 como uma armadilha. Pois esse dia virá sobre todos que vivem na terra. 36 Estejam sempre atentos e orem para serem considerados dignos de escapar[g] dos horrores que sucederão e de estar em pé na presença do Filho do Homem”.
Jesus ensina diariamente
37 Todos os dias, Jesus ia ao templo ensinar e, à tarde, voltava para passar a noite no monte das Oliveiras. 38 Pela manhã, o povo se reunia bem cedo no templo para ouvi-lo falar.
Footnotes
Luke 21
Modern English Version
The Widow’s Offering(A)
21 He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts in the treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow putting in two mites,[a] 3 and He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For all these out of their abundance have put in their gifts for God. But she out of her poverty has put in all the living she had.”
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold(B)
5 As some spoke of how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, He said, 6 “As for these things which you see, the days will come when not one stone shall be left on another that will not be thrown down.”
Signs and Persecutions(C)
7 They asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when this is about to happen?”
8 He said, “Beware lest you be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them. 9 When you hear of wars and commotions, do not be afraid. For these things must first take place, but the end will not be at hand.”
10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 Great earthquakes will occur in various places, and there will be famines and pestilence. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all these things, they will seize you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for My name’s sake. 13 It will turn out as a testimony for you. 14 Therefore resolve in your hearts beforehand not to practice your defense. 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your opponents will be able to neither refute nor resist. 16 You will be betrayed by parents and brothers and relatives and friends. And they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all men for My name’s sake, 18 but not a hair of your head shall perish. 19 In your endurance you will gain your souls.
The Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold(D)
20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know that its desolation has drawn near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter it. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led away captive to all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Coming of the Son of Man(E)
25 “There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree(F)
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are sprouting leaves already, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So in like manner, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
Exhortation to Watch
34 “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts become burdened by excessiveness and drunkenness and anxieties of life, and that Day comes on you unexpectedly. 35 For as a snare it will come on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Therefore watch always and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 Each day He was teaching in the temple, and each night He went out and stayed on the mountain called the Mount of Olives. 38 And all the people came early in the morning to hear Him in the temple.
Footnotes
- Luke 21:2 Gk. 2 lepta. A lepton, meaning “small” or “thin,” is a fraction of a penny and about 1128 of a denarius, which was a day’s wage. A Jewish bronze or copper coin, it was the smallest coin circulated.
BÍBLIA SAGRADA, NOVA VERSÃO TRANSFORMADORA copyright © 2016 by Mundo Cristão. Used by permission of Associação Religiosa Editora Mundo Cristão, Todos os direitos reservados.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.