Matthew 24:15-28

New International Reader's Version

¹⁵ “The prophet Daniel spoke about ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) Someday you will see it standing in the holy place. The reader should understand this. ¹⁶ Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. ¹⁷ No one on the housetop should go down into the house to take anything out. ¹⁸ No one in the field should go back to get their coat. ¹⁹ How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that you will not have to escape in winter or on the Sabbath day. ²¹ There will be terrible suffering in those days. It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now. And there will never be anything like it again.

²² “If the time had not been cut short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, it will be shortened. ²³ At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘There he is!’ Do not believe it. ²⁴ False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do great signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time.

²⁶ “So if anyone tells you, ‘He is a long way out in the desert,’ do not go out there. Or if anyone says, ‘He is deep inside the house,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ Lightning that comes from the east can be seen in the west. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. ²⁸ The vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body.