OEBcth - Mark - 13

13:1  As Jesus was walking out of the Temple Courts, one of his disciples said to him: “Teacher, look what fine stones and buildings these are!”

13:2  “Do you see these great buildings?”asked Jesus. “Not a single stone will be left here on another, which will not be thrown down.”

13:3  When Jesus had sat down on the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew questioned him privately:

13:4  “Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign when all this is drawing to its close.”

13:5  Then Jesus began: “See that no one leads you astray.

13:6  Many will take my name, and come saying ‘I am He’, and will lead many astray.

13:7  “And, when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; such things must occur; but the end is not yet.

13:8  For ‘nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom’; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This will be but the beginning of the birth-pangs.

13:9  “See to yourselves! They will betray you to courts of law; and you will be taken to Synagogues and beaten; and you will be brought up before governors and kings for my sake, so that you can bear witness before them.

13:10  But the good news must first be proclaimed to every nation.

13:11  Whenever they betray you and hand you over for trial, do not be anxious beforehand as to what you will say, but say whatever is given you at the moment; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

13:12  Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will turn against their parents, and cause them to be put to death;

13:13  and you will be hated by everyone because of me. Yet the person who endures to the end will be saved.

13:14  “As soon, however, as you see ‘the Foul Desecration’ standing where he ought not”(the reader must consider what this means) “then those of you who are in Judea must take refuge in the mountains;

13:15  and a person on the house-top must not go down, or go in to get anything out of their house:

13:16  nor must one who is on their farm turn back to get their cloak.

13:17  And alas for pregnant women, and for those who are nursing infants in those days!

13:18  Pray, too, that this may not occur in winter.

13:19  For those days will be a time of distress, the like of which has not occurred from the beginning of God’s creation until now — and never will again.

13:20  And, had not the Lord put a limit to those days, not a single soul would escape; but, for the sake of God’s own chosen people, he did limit them.

13:21  “And at that time if anyone should say to you ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ ‘Look, there he is!’, do not believe it;

13:22  for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and display signs and marvels, to lead astray, were it possible, even God’s people.

13:23  But see that you are on your guard! I have told you all this beforehand.

13:24  “In those days, after that time of distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give her light,

13:25  the stars will be falling from the heavens,’ and ‘the forces that are in the heavens will be convulsed.’

13:26  Then will be seen the ‘Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory;

13:27  and then he will send the angels, and gather his people from the four winds, from one end of the world to the other.

13:28  “Learn the lesson taught by the fig-tree. As soon as its branches are full of sap, and it is bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.

13:29  And so may you, as soon as you see these things happening, know that he is at your doors.

13:30  I tell you that even the present generation will not pass away, until all these things have taken place.

13:31  The heavens and the earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

13:32  “But about ‘that day,’ or ‘the hour,’ no one knows — not even the angels in heaven, not even the Son — but only the Father.

13:33  “See that you are on the watch; for you do not know when the time will be.

13:34  It is like a man going on a journey, who leaves his home, puts his servants in charge — each having their special duty — and orders the porter to watch.

13:35  Therefore watch, for you cannot be sure when the Master of the house is coming — whether in the evening, at midnight, at daybreak, or in the morning —

13:36  otherwise he might come suddenly and find you asleep.

13:37  And what I say to you I say to all — Watch!”