⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.^{(A) 5} For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.^{(B) 6} You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^(C) There will be famines^(D) and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted^(E) and put to death,^(F) and you will be hated by all nations because of me.^{(G) 10} At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets^(H) will appear and deceive many people.^{(I) 12} Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^{(J) 14} And this gospel of the kingdom^(K) will be preached in the whole world^(L) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Day and Hour Unknown^(A)(B)

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,^[a] but only the Father.^{(C) 37} As it was in the days of Noah,^(D) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,^(E) up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.^{(F) 40} Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.^{(G) 41} Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.^(H)

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.^{(I) 43} But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,^(J) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready,^(K) 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,^(L) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?