New Testament in a Year

²⁰ One day you will see Jerusalem with armies all around it. Then you will know that enemies will soon destroy that city. ²¹ People in Judea must then run away to the hills to hide. People that are inside the city must leave it. People that are outside in the fields must not go back into the city. ²² This is when God will punish Israel's people. Then all the things will happen that his servants wrote about in the Bible. ²³ That will be a very bad time for women who are soon to have a baby! It will also be a bad time for those women who have little babies! Yes, very bad things will happen to all the people of this country. God will be very angry with the people who live here. ²⁴ At that time, enemies will fight God's people and kill many of them in war. They will take some of them away as prisoners to live in all the other countries. They will not be free to return home. People that are not Jews will destroy Jerusalem. They will rule here until it is time for them to stop.’^[a]

²⁵ ‘You will see strange things happen to the sun and to the moon and to the stars. Down on earth, things that happen will make people in many countries very afraid. The sea will move up and down and make a lot of noise. There will be great storms. ²⁶ These things will frighten people because they do not understand them. The powerful things in the sky will shake. People will be very afraid about what will happen next in the world. They will become very weak and fall to the ground. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man. He will come in a cloud. He will have great power and bright glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to happen, stand up. And look up, because God will then save you very soon.’

²⁹ Then Jesus told them a story to explain this future time. He said, ‘Think about fig trees and other trees as well. ³⁰ When you see new leaves on a tree, you know that summer will come soon. Nobody needs to tell you that. ³¹ In the same way, you will see these strange things happening. Then you will know that God will soon begin to rule in his kingdom.

³² I tell you this: The people who are alive now will not all die until all these things happen. ³³ One day, the earth and the sky will have an end. But my words will be there for ever.

³⁴ But be careful, and watch how you live. Do not eat or drink too much. Do not waste your time like that. Do not waste time by having troubles in your mind about your life. If you do, that day will surprise you. It will come when you are not looking. ³⁵ It will surprise everyone who lives on all the earth. ³⁶ So watch all the time! Continue to pray that you will be strong. Then you will be safe through all these things! You will stand in front of the Son of Man and you will not be afraid.’

³⁷ Every day Jesus was teaching people in the temple. Each night he went out of the city and he stayed on the hill that is called the Mount of Olives. ³⁸ Each morning he returned to the temple. All the people were going there early in the morning to hear him.