³⁶ I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.

³⁴ I tell you the truth, this generation^[a] will not pass from the scene until all these things take place.

²³ When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man^[a] will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.

³² I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. ³³ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

³⁰ I tell you the truth, this generation^[a] will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

A New Proverb for Israel

²¹ Again a message came to me from the Lord: ²² “Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’ ²³ Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’

²⁴ “There will be no more false visions and flattering predictions in Israel. ²⁵ For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

²⁶ Then this message came to me from the Lord: ²⁷ “Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’ ²⁸ Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”