The Destruction of the Temple Predicted

13 And as[a] he was going out of the temple courts,[b] one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What great stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another stone that will not be thrown down!”

Signs of the End of the Age

And as[c] he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” So Jesus began to say to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you! Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will deceive many. And when you hear about wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These things are the beginning of birth pains.

Persecution of Disciples Predicted

“But you, watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues and will have to stand before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.[d] 11 And when they arrest you and[e] hand you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you should say, but whatever is given to you at that hour, say this. For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his[f] child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation

14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the one who reads understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! 15 The one[g] who is on his[h] housetop must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house, 16 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. 17 And woe to those who are pregnant[i] and to those who are nursing their babies[j] in those days! 18 But pray that it will not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be tribulation of such a kind as has not happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will happen. 20 And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved.[k] But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has shortened the days.

21 “And at that time if anyone should say to you, “Behold, here is the Christ,’ ‘Behold, there he is,’ do not believe him![l] 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce signs and wonders in order to mislead, if possible, the elect. 23 But you, watch out! I have told you everything ahead of time!

The Arrival of the Son of Man

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation,

‘the sun will be darkened
    and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
    and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.’[m]

26 And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels, and will gather the[n] elect together from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

28 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its[o] leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know[p] that he is near, at the door. 30 Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place! 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Unknown Day and Hour

32 “But concerning that day or hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the Father. 33 Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is! 34 It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority—to each one his work—and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert. 35 Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning— 36 lest he arrive suddenly and[q] find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be on the alert!”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:1 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was going out”)
  2. Mark 13:1 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
  3. Mark 13:3 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was sitting”)
  4. Mark 13:10 Or “Gentiles”; the same Greek word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context
  5. Mark 13:11 Here “and” is supplied because the participle (“hand you over”) has been translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style
  6. Mark 13:12 The word “his” is not in the Greek text but is implied
  7. Mark 13:15 Some manuscripts have “And the one”
  8. Mark 13:15 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  9. Mark 13:17 Literally “who have in the womb”
  10. Mark 13:17 The words “their babies” are not in the Greek text but are supplied as a necessary clarification
  11. Mark 13:20 Literally “every flesh would not be saved”
  12. Mark 13:21 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  13. Mark 13:25 A quotation from Isa 13:10; 34:4
  14. Mark 13:27 Some manuscripts have “his”
  15. Mark 13:28 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  16. Mark 13:29 Or “you know”
  17. Mark 13:36 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“arrive”) has been translated as a finite verb

13 And as he is going forth out of the temple, one of his disciples saith to him, `Teacher, see! what stones! and what buildings!'

and Jesus answering said to him, `Seest thou these great buildings? there may not be left a stone upon a stone, that may not be thrown down.'

And as he is sitting at the mount of the Olives, over-against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, were questioning him by himself,

`Tell us when these things shall be? and what [is] the sign when all these may be about to be fulfilled?'

And Jesus answering them, began to say, `Take heed lest any one may lead you astray,

for many shall come in my name, saying -- I am [he], and many they shall lead astray;

and when ye may hear of wars and reports of wars, be not troubled, for these behove to be, but the end [is] not yet;

for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles; beginnings of sorrows [are] these.

`And take ye heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrims, and to synagogues, ye shall be beaten, and before governors and kings ye shall be set for my sake, for a testimony to them;

10 and to all the nations it behoveth first that the good news be proclaimed.

11 `And when they may lead you, delivering up, be not anxious beforehand what ye may speak, nor premeditate, but whatever may be given to you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 `And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death,

13 and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end -- he shall be saved.

14 `And when ye may see the abomination of the desolation, that was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (whoever is reading let him understand), then those in Judea, let them flee to the mountains;

15 and he upon the house-top, let him not come down to the house, nor come in to take anything out of his house;

16 and he who is in the field, let him not turn to the things behind, to take up his garment.

17 `And wo to those with child, and to those giving suck, in those days;

18 and pray ye that your flight may not be in winter,

19 for those days shall be tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the creation that God created, till now, and may not be;

20 and if the Lord did not shorten the days, no flesh had been saved; but because of the chosen, whom He did choose to Himself, He did shorten the days.

21 `And then, if any may say to you, Lo, here [is] the Christ, or, Lo, there, ye may not believe;

22 for there shall rise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall give signs and wonders, to seduce, if possible, also the chosen;

23 and ye, take heed; lo, I have foretold you all things.

24 `But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 and the stars of the heaven shall be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken.

26 `And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in clouds with much power and glory,

27 and then he shall send his messengers, and gather together his chosen from the four winds, from the end of the earth unto the end of heaven.

28 `And from the fig-tree learn ye the simile: when the branch may already become tender, and may put forth the leaves, ye know that nigh is the summer;

29 so ye, also, when these ye may see coming to pass, ye know that it is nigh, at the doors.

30 Verily I say to you, that this generation may not pass away till all these things may come to pass;

31 the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

32 `And concerning that day and the hour no one hath known -- not even the messengers who are in the heaven, not even the Son -- except the Father.

33 Take heed, watch and pray, for ye have not known when the time is;

34 as a man who is gone abroad, having left his house, and given to his servants the authority, and to each one his work, did command also the porter that he may watch;

35 watch ye, therefore, for ye have not known when the lord of the house doth come, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or at the morning;

36 lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping;

37 and what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.'