Mark 13
Expanded Bible
The Temple Will Be Destroyed(A)
13 As Jesus was leaving the Temple (courts; complex), one of his ·followers [disciples] said to him, “Look, Teacher! ·How big the stones are! [L What stones!] ·How beautiful the buildings are! [L What buildings!]”
2 Jesus said, “Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be ·thrown [torn; pulled] down.”
3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, ·opposite [across from] the Temple [complex], he was alone with Peter, James, John, and Andrew. They asked Jesus, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are going to ·happen [be accomplished/fulfilled]?”
5 Jesus began to answer them, “·Be careful [Watch out] that no one ·fools [deceives; misleads] you. 6 Many people will come in my name, saying, ‘I am ·the One [or he; C Messiah or savior],’ and they will ·fool [deceive; mislead] many people. 7 When you hear about wars and ·stories of wars that are coming [rumors/reports of wars], don’t be afraid. These things must happen ·before the end comes [but that is not yet the end]. 8 Nations will ·fight [L rise up] against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms. There will be earthquakes in ·different [various] places, and there will be ·times when there is no food for people to eat [famines]. These things are ·like the first pains when something new is about to be born [L the beginning of birth pains].
9 “You must ·be careful [watch out; be on guard]. People will arrest you and take you to ·court [local councils] and ·beat [flog] you in their synagogues. You will be forced to stand before governors and kings to ·tell them [testify; bear witness] about me, ·because you follow me [on account of me]. 10 But before these things happen, the ·Good News [Gospel] must be ·told [preached; proclaimed] to all ·people [nations]. 11 When you are arrested and ·judged [brought to trial], don’t worry ahead of time about what you should say. Say whatever is given you to say at that time, because it will not really be you speaking; it will be the Holy Spirit.
12 “Brothers will ·give [betray; hand over] their own brothers to ·be killed [death], and fathers will give their own children to ·be killed [death]. Children will ·fight [rebel; rise up] against their own parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 All people will hate you because ·you follow me [L of my name], but those people who ·keep their faith [endure; stand firm; persevere] until the end will be saved.
14 “You will see ‘·a blasphemous object that brings destruction’ [T the abomination of desolation; C a phrase taken from Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11, and originally referring to the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 bc] standing where ·it [or he] should not be.” (You who read this should understand what it means [C probably a reference to the (soon-to-occur) destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70].) “At that time, the people in Judea should ·run away [flee] to the mountains. 15 If people are on the roofs of their houses [C roofs in Palestine were flat and used as spare rooms and for storage], they must not go down or go inside to get anything out of their houses. 16 If people are in the fields, they must not go back to get their ·coats [cloaks]. 17 At that time, ·how terrible it will be for [L woe to] women who are pregnant or have nursing babies! 18 Pray that these things will not happen in ·winter [bad weather], 19 because those days will be full of ·trouble [distress; T tribulation]. There will be more ·trouble [distress; T tribulation] than there has ever been since the beginning, when God made the world, until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen again [Dan. 12:1]. 20 ·God has decided to make that terrible time short [L If the Lord had not shortened those days…]. Otherwise, no one would ·go on living [survive; L be saved]. But God will make that time short ·to help [for the sake of] ·the people [the elect] he has chosen. 21 At that time, someone might say to you, ‘Look, there is the ·Christ [Messiah]!’ Or another person might say, ‘There he is!’ But don’t believe them. 22 False ·Christs [Messiahs] and false prophets will ·come [appear; rise up] and perform ·great wonders [signs; miracles] and ·miracles [wonders; marvels]. They will try to ·fool [mislead; deceive] even the ·people God has chosen [elect], if that is possible. 23 So ·be careful [watch out; be on guard]. I have warned you about all this before it happens.
24 “During the days after this ·trouble [tribulation; distress] comes,
‘the sun will grow dark,
and the moon will not give its light.
25 The stars will fall from ·the sky [heaven].
And the ·powers of the heavens [celestial bodies] will be shaken’ [Is. 13:10; 34:4; cf. Ezek. 32:7–8; Joel 2:10, 31].
26 “Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory [Dan. 7:13]. 27 Then he will send his angels to gather his ·chosen people [elect] from ·all around the earth [the four winds], from ·every part [the farthest end] of the earth and from ·every part [the farthest end] of heaven [Deut. 30:4; Zech. 2:6].
28 “Learn a ·lesson [parable; analogy] from the fig tree: When its branches ·become green and soft [become tender; sprout] and new leaves appear, you know summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that ·the time [or he] is near, ·ready to come [right at the door]. 30 I tell you the truth, all these things will happen ·while the people of this time are still living [before this generation passes away; C either the generation that sees the destruction of Jerusalem (ad 70), or a future generation of the end times]. 31 ·Earth and sky will be destroyed [T Heaven and earth will pass away], but the words I have said will never ·be destroyed [pass away].
32 “No one knows when that day or ·time [hour] will be, not the angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. 33 ·Be careful [Watch out; Be on guard]! Always be ·ready[a] [alert; watching], because you don’t know when that [appointed] time will be. 34 It is like a man who goes on a ·trip [journey]. He leaves his house and lets his servants take care of it, giving each one ·a special job [his own work] to do. The man tells the servant guarding the door always to be watchful. 35 So ·always be ready [stay alert; keep watching], because you don’t know when the ·owner [master; lord] of the house will come back. It might be in the evening, or at midnight, or ·in the morning while it is still dark [L when the rooster crows], or when the sun rises. 36 Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back suddenly and find you sleeping. 37 I tell you this, and I say this to everyone: ‘Be ·ready [alert; watchful]!’”
Footnotes
- Mark 13:33 ready Some Greek copies continue, “and pray.”
Mark 13
New International Reader's Version
When the Temple Will Be Destroyed and the Signs of the End
13 Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What huge stones! What wonderful buildings!”
2 “Do you see these huge buildings?” Jesus asked. “Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down.”
3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him a question in private. 4 “Tell us,” they said. “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to come true?”
5 Jesus said to them, “Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. 6 Many will come in my name. They will claim, ‘I am he.’ They will fool many people. 7 You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen. But the end still isn’t here. 8 Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places. People will go hungry. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. 10 The good news has to be preached to all nations before the end comes. 11 You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 “Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.
14 “You will see ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. 15 No one on the roof should go down into the house to take anything out. 16 No one in the field should go back to get their coat. 17 How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not happen in winter. 19 Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again.
20 “If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it. 21 At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘Look! There he is!’ Do not believe it. 22 False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. 23 Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time.
24 “So in those days there will be terrible suffering. After that, Scripture says,
“ ‘The sun will be darkened.
The moon will not shine.
25 The stars will fall from the sky.
The heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (Isaiah 13:10; 34:4)
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds. He will come with great power and glory. 27 He will send his angels. He will gather his chosen people from all four directions. He will bring them from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. 30 What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Are Not Known
32 “But no one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. 33 Keep watch! Stay awake! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge. Each one is given a task to do. He tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn. 36 He may come suddenly. So do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone. ‘Watch!’ ”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
