Matthew 24
Expanded Bible
The Temple Will Be Destroyed(A)
24 As Jesus left the Temple [courts] and was walking away, his ·followers [disciples] came up to ·show [point out to] him the Temple’s buildings. 2 Jesus asked, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be ·thrown [pulled; torn] down.”
3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his ·followers [disciples] came to be alone with him. They said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign ·that it is time for you to come again [of your coming/return] and ·for this age to end [the end/consummation of the age]?”
4 Jesus answered, “·Be careful [Watch out] that no one ·fools [misleads; deceives] you. 5 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the ·Christ [Messiah],’ and they will ·fool [mislead; deceive] many people. 6 You will hear about wars and ·stories of wars that are coming [rumors/reports of wars], but don’t be ·afraid [alarmed]. These things must happen ·before the end comes [or but that is not yet the end]. 7 Nations will ·fight [L rise up] against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms. There will be ·times when there is no food for people to eat [famines], and there will be earthquakes in ·different [various] places. 8 All these things are ·like the first pains when something new is about to be born [L the beginning of the birth pains].
9 “Then people will arrest you, hand you over to be ·hurt [persecuted; tortured], and kill you. ·They [The world; L All nations] will hate you because ·you believe in me [you follow me; L of my name]. 10 At that time, many will ·lose their faith [turn/fall away], and they will ·turn against [betray] each other and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets will ·come [appear; arise] and ·cause many people to believe lies [deceive many]. 12 There will be more and more ·evil [sin; lawlessness] in the world, so ·most people will stop showing their love for each other [L the love of many/most will grow cold]. 13 But those people who ·keep their faith [endure; stand firm; persevere] until the end will be saved. 14 ·The Good News [This Gospel] about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, [L as a testimony] to every nation. Then the end will come.
15 “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],’ which Daniel the prophet spoke about. ·It [or He] will be standing in the holy place.” (You who read this should understand what it means [C probably a reference to the soon-to-occur destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70].) 16 “At that time, the people in Judea should ·run away [flee] to the mountains. 17 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 to get anything out of their houses. 18 If people are in the fields, they must not go back to get their ·coats [cloaks]. 19 At that time, ·how terrible it will be for [L woe to] women who are pregnant or have nursing babies! 20 Pray that it will not be ·winter [bad weather] or a Sabbath day when these things happen and you have to run away, 21 because at that time there will be much ·trouble [distress; T tribulation]. There will be more ·trouble [distress; T tribulation]. than there has ever been since the beginning of the world until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen again [Dan. 12:1]. 22 ·God has decided to make that terrible time short [L If those days had not been shortened (by God)…; C the passive verb implies God as subject]. Otherwise, no one would ·go on living [survive; L be saved]. But God will make that time short ·to help the people he has chosen [for the sake of the elect]. 23 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. 24 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. 25 Now I have warned you about this before it happens.
26 “If people tell you, ‘[L Look,] ·the Christ [L he] is in the ·desert [wilderness],’ don’t go there. If they say, ‘[L Look,] he is ·in the inner room [or hiding here; in this secret place],’ don’t believe it. 27 When the Son of Man comes [Dan. 7:13–14], he will be like lightning flashing from the east to the west [C he will be seen by everyone]. 28 Wherever the ·dead body [carcass] is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Soon after the ·trouble [tribulation; distress] of those days,
‘the sun will grow dark,
and the moon will not give its light.
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].’
30 “At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in ·the sky [or heaven]. Then all the ·peoples [tribes] of the world will ·cry [mourn]. They will see the Son of Man coming on ·clouds in the sky [or the clouds of heaven] with great power and glory. 31 He will use a loud trumpet to send his angels, and they will gather his ·chosen people [elect] ·from every part of the world [L from the four winds, from one end of the sky/heavens to another].
32 “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. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that ·the time [or he] is near, ·ready to come [right at the door]. 34 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]. 35 ·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].
When Will Jesus Come Again?(B)
36 “No one knows when that day or ·time [hour] will be, not the angels in heaven, not even the Son.[a] Only the Father knows. 37 When the Son of Man comes [Dan. 7:13–14], it will be like what happened during Noah’s time. 38 [L For] In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married, until the day Noah entered the boat. 39 They ·knew [understood] nothing about what was happening until the flood came and ·destroyed them [L took/swept them all away]. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. 40 Two men will be in the field. One will be taken, and the other will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding grain with a ·mill [handmill; C two large, round, flat rocks used for grinding grain to make flour]. One will be taken, and the other will be left.
42 “So ·always be ready [stay alert; keep watching], because you don’t know the day your Lord will come. 43 ·Remember [Know] this: If the owner of the house knew what time of night a thief was coming, the owner would ·watch [have stayed alert; kept watching] and not let ·the thief break in [L his house be broken into]. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a ·time [hour] you don’t expect him.
The Story of the Two Servants(C)
45 “Who is the ·loyal [faithful; trusted] and ·wise [sensible] ·servant [slave] that the master ·trusts [L puts in charge of his household] to give ·the other servants [L them] their food at the right time? 46 That servant will be ·blessed [happy; or rewarded] when the master comes and finds him doing his work. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will ·choose that servant to take care [put him in charge] of everything he owns. 48 But suppose that evil servant thinks to himself, ‘My master ·will not come back soon [will be away for a long time; is delayed],’ 49 and he begins to beat the other servants and eat and ·get drunk with others like him [drink with drunkards]? 50 The master [L of that servant/slave] will come [L on a day] when that servant is not ready and [L at an hour when he] is not expecting him. 51 Then the master will cut him in pieces and ·send him away to be [L assign/appoint him a place] with the hypocrites, where ·people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [T there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; C indicating agony and remorse].
Footnotes
- Matthew 24:36 not even the Son Some Greek copies do not have this phrase.
Matthew 24
Living Bible
24 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples came along and wanted to take him on a tour of the various Temple buildings.
2 But he told them, “All these buildings will be knocked down, with not one stone left on top of another!”
3 “When will this happen?” the disciples asked him later, as he sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. “What events will signal your return and the end of the world?”[a]
4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone fool you. 5 For many will come claiming to be the Messiah and will lead many astray. 6 When you hear of wars beginning, this does not signal my return; these must come, but the end is not yet. 7 The nations and kingdoms of the earth will rise against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. 8 But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.
9 “Then you will be tortured and killed and hated all over the world because you are mine, 10 and many of you shall fall back into sin and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and lead many astray. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many. 13 But those enduring to the end shall be saved.
14 “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come.
15 “So, when you see the horrible thing[b] (told about by Daniel the prophet) standing in a holy place (Note to the reader: You know what is meant!), 16 then those in Judea must flee into the Judean hills. 17 Those on their porches[c] must not even go inside to pack before they flee. 18 Those in the fields should not return to their homes for their clothes.
19 “And woe to pregnant women and to those with babies in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter, or on the Sabbath.[d] 21 For there will be persecution such as the world has never before seen in all its history and will never see again.
22 “In fact, unless those days are shortened, all mankind will perish. But they will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen people.[e]
23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘The Messiah has arrived at such and such a place, or has appeared here or there,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false Christs shall arise, and false prophets, and will do wonderful miracles so that if it were possible, even God’s chosen ones[f] would be deceived. 25 See, I have warned you.
26 “So if someone tells you the Messiah has returned and is out in the desert, don’t bother to go and look. Or, that he is hiding at a certain place, don’t believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes across the sky from east to west, so shall my coming be, when I, the Messiah,[g] return. 28 And wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the persecution of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give light, and the stars will seem to fall from the heavens,[h] and the powers overshadowing the earth will be convulsed.
30 “And then at last the signal of my coming[i] will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning all around the earth. And the nations of the world will see me arrive in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And I shall send forth my angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they shall gather my chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.[j]
32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When her branch is tender and the leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is almost here. 33 Just so, when you see all these things beginning to happen, you can know that my return is near,[k] even at the doors. 34 Then at last this age will come to its close.[l]
35 “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words remain forever. 36 But no one knows the date and hour when the end will be—not even the angels. No, nor even God’s Son.[m] Only the Father knows.
37-38 “The world will be at ease[n] —banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the Flood; 39 people wouldn’t believe[o] what was going to happen until the Flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be.
40 “Two men will be working together in the fields, and one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be going about their household tasks; one will be taken, the other left.
42 “So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
43 “Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, 44 so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for my unannounced return.
45 “Are you a wise and faithful servant of the Lord? Have I given you the task of managing my household, to feed my children day by day? 46 Blessings on you if I return and find you faithfully doing your work. 47 I will put such faithful ones in charge of everything I own!
48 “But if you are evil and say to yourself, ‘My Lord won’t be coming for a while,’ 49 and begin oppressing your fellow servants, partying and getting drunk, 50 your Lord will arrive unannounced and unexpected, 51 and severely whip you and send you off to the judgment of the hypocrites; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Footnotes
- Matthew 24:3 world, literally, “age.”
- Matthew 24:15 the horrible thing, literally, “the abomination of desolation.” Daniel, see Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. Note to the reader: You know what is meant, literally, “Let the reader take note.”
- Matthew 24:17 porches, literally, “rooftops,” which, being flat, were used as porches at that time. See Acts 10:9.
- Matthew 24:20 on the Sabbath. The city gates were closed on the Sabbath.
- Matthew 24:22 God’s chosen people, literally, “the elect.”
- Matthew 24:24 God’s chosen ones, literally, “the elect.”
- Matthew 24:27 the Messiah, literally, “the Son of Man.”
- Matthew 24:29 the stars will seem to fall from the heavens, literally, “the stars shall fall from heaven.” the earth will be convulsed, literally, “the powers of the heavens shall be shaken”; see Ephesians 6:12.
- Matthew 24:30 of my coming, literally, “of the coming of the Son of Man.”
- Matthew 24:31 from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven, literally, “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
- Matthew 24:33 my return is near, literally, “he is nigh.”
- Matthew 24:34 this age will come to its close, literally, “this generation shall pass away.”
- Matthew 24:36 No, nor even God’s Son, literally, “Neither the Son.” Many ancient manuscripts omit this phrase.
- Matthew 24:37 The world will be at ease, implied.
- Matthew 24:39 wouldn’t believe, literally, “knew not.”
Matthew 24
King James Version
24 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24
New King James Version
Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple(A)
24 Then (B)Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, (C)not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age(D)
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, (E)the disciples came to Him privately, saying, (F)“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: (G)“Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For (H)many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ (I)and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of (J)wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for [a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For (K)nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be (L)famines, [b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 (M)“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then (N)many false prophets will rise up and (O)deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow (P)cold. 13 (Q)But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this (R)gospel of the kingdom (S)will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation(T)
15 (U)“Therefore when you see the (V)‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (W)(whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But (X)woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For (Y)then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; (Z)but for the [c]elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 (AA)“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For (AB)false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, (AC)if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 (AD)For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 (AE)For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
The Coming of the Son of Man(AF)
29 (AG)“Immediately after the tribulation of those days (AH)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 (AI)Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, (AJ)and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 (AK)And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His [d]elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Parable of the Fig Tree(AL)
32 “Now learn (AM)this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know (AN)that [e]it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, (AO)this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 (AP)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
No One Knows the Day or Hour(AQ)
36 (AR)“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of [f]heaven, (AS)but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 (AT)For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 (AU)Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 (AV)Watch therefore, for you do not know what [g]hour your Lord is coming. 43 (AW)But know this, that if the master of the house had known what [h]hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 (AX)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant(AY)
45 (AZ)“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food [i]in due season? 46 (BA)Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that (BB)he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master (BC)is delaying [j]his coming,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is (BD)not aware of, 51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. (BE)There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Footnotes
- Matthew 24:6 NU omits all
- Matthew 24:7 NU omits pestilences
- Matthew 24:22 chosen ones’
- Matthew 24:31 chosen ones
- Matthew 24:33 Or He
- Matthew 24:36 NU adds nor the Son
- Matthew 24:42 NU day
- Matthew 24:43 Lit. watch of the night
- Matthew 24:45 at the right time
- Matthew 24:48 NU omits his coming
Matteo 24
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
2. DISCORSO ESCATOLOGICO
Introduzione
24 Mentre Gesù, uscito dal tempio, se ne andava, gli si avvicinarono i suoi discepoli per fargli osservare le costruzioni del tempio. 2 Gesù disse loro: «Vedete tutte queste cose? In verità vi dico, non resterà qui pietra su pietra che non venga diroccata».
3 Sedutosi poi sul monte degli Ulivi, i suoi discepoli gli si avvicinarono e, in disparte, gli dissero: «Dicci quando accadranno queste cose, e quale sarà il segno della tua venuta e della fine del mondo».
L'inizio dei dolori
4 Gesù rispose: «Guardate che nessuno vi inganni; 5 molti verranno nel mio nome, dicendo: Io sono il Cristo, e trarranno molti in inganno. 6 Sentirete poi parlare di guerre e di rumori di guerre. Guardate di non allarmarvi; è necessario che tutto questo avvenga, ma non è ancora la fine. 7 Si solleverà popolo contro popolo e regno contro regno; vi saranno carestie e terremoti in vari luoghi; 8 ma tutto questo è solo l'inizio dei dolori. 9 Allora vi consegneranno ai supplizi e vi uccideranno, e sarete odiati da tutti i popoli a causa del mio nome. 10 Molti ne resteranno scandalizzati, ed essi si tradiranno e odieranno a vicenda. 11 Sorgeranno molti falsi profeti e inganneranno molti; 12 per il dilagare dell'iniquità, l'amore di molti si raffredderà. 13 Ma chi persevererà sino alla fine, sarà salvato. 14 Frattanto questo vangelo del regno sarà annunziato in tutto il mondo, perché ne sia resa testimonianza a tutte le genti; e allora verrà la fine.
La grande tribolazione di Gerusalemme
15 Quando dunque vedrete l'abominio della desolazione, di cui parlò il profeta Daniele, stare nel luogo santo - chi legge comprenda -, 16 allora quelli che sono in Giudea fuggano ai monti, 17 chi si trova sulla terrazza non scenda a prendere la roba di casa, 18 e chi si trova nel campo non torni indietro a prendersi il mantello. 19 Guai alle donne incinte e a quelle che allatteranno in quei giorni. 20 Pregate perché la vostra fuga non accada d'inverno o di sabato.
21 Poiché vi sarà allora una tribolazione grande, quale mai avvenne dall'inizio del mondo fino a ora, né mai più ci sarà. 22 E se quei giorni non fossero abbreviati, nessun vivente si salverebbe; ma a causa degli eletti quei giorni saranno abbreviati. 23 Allora se qualcuno vi dirà: Ecco, il Cristo è qui, o: E' là, non ci credete. 24 Sorgeranno infatti falsi cristi e falsi profeti e faranno grandi portenti e miracoli, così da indurre in errore, se possibile, anche gli eletti. 25 Ecco, io ve l'ho predetto.
L'avvento del Figlio dell'uomo sarà manifestato
26 Se dunque vi diranno: Ecco, è nel deserto, non ci andate; o: E' in casa, non ci credete. 27 Come la folgore viene da oriente e brilla fino a occidente, così sarà la venuta del Figlio dell'uomo. 28 Dovunque sarà il cadavere, ivi si raduneranno gli avvoltoi.
Dimensione cosmica di questo avvento
29 Subito dopo la tribolazione di quei giorni,
il sole si oscurerà, la luna non darà più la sua luce, gli astri cadranno dal cielo e le potenze dei cieli saranno sconvolte.
30 Allora comparirà nel cielo il segno del Figlio dell'uomo e allora si batteranno il petto tutte le tribù della terra, e vedranno il Figlio dell'uomo venire sopra le nubi del cielo con grande potenza e gloria. 31 Egli manderà i suoi angeli con una grande tromba e raduneranno tutti i suoi eletti dai quattro venti, da un estremo all'altro dei cieli.
Parabola del fico
32 Dal fico poi imparate la parabola: quando ormai il suo ramo diventa tenero e spuntano le foglie, sapete che l'estate è vicina. 33 Così anche voi, quando vedrete tutte queste cose, sappiate che Egli è proprio alle porte. 34 In verità vi dico: non passerà questa generazione prima che tutto questo accada. 35 Il cielo e la terra passeranno, ma le mie parole non passeranno.
36 Quanto a quel giorno e a quell'ora, però, nessuno lo sa, neanche gli angeli del cielo e neppure il Figlio, ma solo il Padre.
Vegliare per non essere sorpresi
37 Come fu ai giorni di Noè, così sarà la venuta del Figlio dell'uomo. 38 Infatti, come nei giorni che precedettero il diluvio mangiavano e bevevano, prendevano moglie e marito, fino a quando Noè entrò nell'arca, 39 e non si accorsero di nulla finché venne il diluvio e inghiottì tutti, così sarà anche alla venuta del Figlio dell'uomo. 40 Allora due uomini saranno nel campo: uno sarà preso e l'altro lasciato. 41 Due donne macineranno alla mola: una sarà presa e l'altra lasciata.
42 Vegliate dunque, perché non sapete in quale giorno il Signore vostro verrà. 43 Questo considerate: se il padrone di casa sapesse in quale ora della notte viene il ladro, veglierebbe e non si lascerebbe scassinare la casa. 44 Perciò anche voi state pronti, perché nell'ora che non immaginate, il Figlio dell'uomo verrà.
Parabola del maggiordomo
45 Qual è dunque il servo fidato e prudente che il padrone ha preposto ai suoi domestici con l'incarico di dar loro il cibo al tempo dovuto? 46 Beato quel servo che il padrone al suo ritorno troverà ad agire così! 47 In verità vi dico: gli affiderà l'amministrazione di tutti i suoi beni. 48 Ma se questo servo malvagio dicesse in cuor suo: Il mio padrone tarda a venire, 49 e cominciasse a percuotere i suoi compagni e a bere e a mangiare con gli ubriaconi, 50 arriverà il padrone quando il servo non se l'aspetta e nell'ora che non sa, 51 lo punirà con rigore e gli infliggerà la sorte che gli ipocriti si meritano: e là sarà pianto e stridore di denti.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
