Luke 21:5-24

5Some of Jesus' disciples were talking about the temple. They spoke about the many beautiful stones in the walls. They also spoke about the many gifts to God that people had put there.

6Jesus said to them, ‘You can see all these beautiful things now. But a day is coming when enemies will completely destroy it all. Not even one stone will remain on top of another stone.’

7‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘When will all these things happen? What will show us that they will soon happen?’

8Jesus replied. ‘Be careful! Some people will tell you things that are not true. Do not believe them. Many people will say that they have come on my behalf. They will say, “I am the Messiah.” They will say, “Now is the time!” Do not agree with those people.

9You will hear about wars and people fighting each other. Do not be afraid. Those things must happen first, but the end of everything will not happen immediately.’

10Jesus then said to them, ‘People from one country will attack the people from another country. Kings and their armies will fight against other kings and their armies.

11The ground will shake, so that people will be afraid. In many different places, people will be hungry, with no food. Diseases will go from one person to another. Many people will die. Things will also happen in the sky that will frighten people.

12But before all those things happen, people will take hold of you. They will do bad things to you and give you pain. They will take you to the leaders in their meeting places and they will keep you in prisons. They will make you stand in front of kings and rulers. All this will happen because you are my disciples.

13This will be the time to tell them the good news about me.

14So prepare your minds. You must decide not to think about how to answer the questions of kings and rulers. Wait until that time comes.

15I will give you the right words to speak at that time. I will help you to be wise. The people who are against you will not be able to argue with you. They will just be quiet.

16Even your parents and other people in your family will take hold of you. They will make you stand in front of kings and rulers. They will even kill some of you.

17Everybody will hate you because you are my disciples.

18But your life will be safe with me. You will not lose even one hair from your head.

19Yes, you will have true life, if you remain strong.

20One day you will see Jerusalem with armies all around it. Then you will know that enemies will soon destroy that city.

21People 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.

22This is when God will punish Israel's people. Then all the things will happen that his servants wrote about in the Bible.

23That 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.

24At 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.’