Matthew 24:4-24

4Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to let anyone deceive you.

5Many will come using my name. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many people.

6“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Don’t be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don’t mean that the end has come.

7Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8All of these are only the beginning pains ⌞of the end⌟.

9“Then they will hand you over to those who will torture and kill you. All nations will hate you because you are committed to me.

10Then many will lose faith. They will betray and hate each other.

11Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

12And because there will be more and more lawlessness, most people’s love will grow cold.

13But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

14“This Good News about the kingdom will be spread throughout the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come.

15“The prophet Daniel said that the disgusting thing that will cause destruction will stand in the holy place. When you see this (let the reader take note),

16those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains.

17Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses.

18Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.

19“How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days.

20Pray that it will not be winter or a day of rest—a holy day, when you flee.

21There will be a lot of misery at that time, a kind of misery that has not happened from the beginning of the world until now and will certainly never happen again.

22If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.

23“At that time don’t believe anyone who tells you, ‘Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’

24False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work spectacular, miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen.