Matthew 24-25

Tree of Life Version

24 Now when Yeshua went out and was going away from the Temple, His disciples came up to point out to Him the Temple buildings. ² “Don’t you see all these?” He responded to them. “Amen, I tell you, not one stone will be left here on top of another—every one will be torn down!”

Signs of the End of Time

³ As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Yeshua answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray! ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will lead many astray. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must happen but it is not yet the end. ⁷ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^[a] And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ But all these things are only the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then they will hand you over to persecution and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of My name. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one other. ¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. ¹² Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ This Good News of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁵ “So when you see ‘the abomination of desolation,’^[b] which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ The one on the roof must not go down to take what is in his house, ¹⁸ and the one in the field must not turn back to get his coat. ¹⁹ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your escape will not happen in winter, or on Shabbat. ²¹ For then there will be great trouble,^[c] such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. ²² And unless those days were cut short, no one would be delivered. But for the sake of the chosen, those days will be cut short.

²³ “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Messiah,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up^[d] and show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen. ²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand.

²⁶ “So if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. Or, ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For just as lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ For wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.

²⁹ “But immediately after the trouble of those days,

³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’^[f] with power and great glory. ³¹ He will send out His angels with a great shofar, and they will gather together His chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”^[g]

Watching for Messiah’s Return

³² “Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the door. ³⁴ Amen, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. ^{[h] 36} But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son,^[i] except the Father alone.

³⁷ “For just as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. ³⁹ And they did not understand until the flood came and swept them all away.^[j] So shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field, one taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill, one taken and one left. ^{[k] 42} Therefore stay alert; for you do not know what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

The Faithful Servant

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant whose master finds him so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷ Amen, I tell you, his master will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is taking a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he begins to beat his fellow servants, and he eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. ⁵¹ And he will cut him in two and assign his place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ^{[l] 2} Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ For when the foolish ones took their lamps, they took no oil with them. ⁴ But the wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps.

⁵ “Now while the bridegroom was taking a long time, they all got drowsy and started falling asleep. ⁶ But in the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ Now the foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, since our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell, and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹ Now later, the other virgins came, saying, ‘Sir, Sir, open up for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Amen, I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Therefore stay alert, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and handed over his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[m] to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

¹⁶ “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more. ¹⁷ In the same way, the one with two gained two more. ¹⁸ But the one who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who had received the five talents came up and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed me five talents. Look, I’ve gained five more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’

²² “The one who had received the two talents also came up and said, ‘Master, you handed me two talents. Look, I’ve gained two more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’

²⁴ “Then the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his master responded, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you should have brought my money to the brokers, and when I came I would have received it back with interest. ²⁸ Therefore take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to the one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. ³⁰ Throw the worthless servant out, into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

The Righteous Judge

³¹ “Now when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ^{[n] 33} And He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on His left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’^[o]

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? ³⁸ And when did we see You a stranger and invite You in? Or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

⁴⁰ “And answering, the King will say to them, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ ^{[p] 41} Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Go away from Me, you cursed ones, into the everlasting fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in; naked and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they too will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not care for You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Amen, I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ ⁴⁶ These shall go off to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.”^[q]