Matthew 24:36-51

36Jesus then said, ‘Nobody knows the day or the hour when all these things will happen. Only God the Father knows when they will happen. The angels who are in heaven do not know. Even the Son does not know.

37Remember what happened when Noah was alive. It will be like that when the Son of Man returns to the earth.

38In Noah's time, in the days before the flood, people were eating their meals every day. Men married women and women married men. They continued to do all these things until the day that Noah went into his big boat.

39The people did not know what would happen. Then rain fell for a long time and all these people died in the deep water. When the Son of Man returns, it will happen quickly in the same way.

40At that time, it will be like this: Two men will be working in a field. God will take one man away, but he will leave the other man behind.

41Two women will be preparing food together in the same place. God will take one of them away, but he will leave the other woman behind.

42So you must watch carefully! You do not know the day when your Master will come back.

43You can be sure about this. The master of a house does not know at what time of night a man would come to rob him. If he knew the time, he would watch his house more carefully. He would not let the robber come into his house and take away his things.

44So you must also be ready. The Son of Man will come at a time when you are not thinking about it.’

45Jesus then said, ‘You should be like a wise servant. Be someone that the master can trust. The master will choose a man like that. He will say to him, “Rule over my house and all my other servants. Give everyone their food to eat at the right time.”

46That servant will be very happy when his master comes home. His master will see that he has done everything well.

47Yes, I tell you this: The master will give that servant authority to rule over everything in his house.

48But another servant might be bad. He might say to himself, “My master will not come yet.”

49Then he begins to hit the other servants. He eats too much and he drinks too much. He meets with other people who become drunk.

50Then the master of that servant will come home and he will surprise the servant. He did not think that his master would come home on that day or at that time.

51Then the master will punish him a lot. He will put the servant with those people who do not obey him. The people in that place will cry and they will bite their teeth together.’