Be Ready for His Coming

42 “Therefore (A)be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But [a]be sure of this, that (B)if the head of the house had known (C)at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason (D)you must be ready as well; for (E)the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45 (F)Who then is the (G)faithful and (H)sensible slave whom his [b]master (I)put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his [c]master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that (J)he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My [d]master [e]is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; 50 then the [f]master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will [g]cut him in two and assign [h]him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be (K)weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:43 Lit know that
  2. Matthew 24:45 Or lord
  3. Matthew 24:46 Or lord
  4. Matthew 24:48 Or lord
  5. Matthew 24:48 Lit lingers
  6. Matthew 24:50 Or lord
  7. Matthew 24:51 Possibly referring to other extreme punishment
  8. Matthew 24:51 Lit his portion with

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.(A) 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,(B) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready,(C) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,(D) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.(E) 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.(F) 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.(G) 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(H)

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