Matthew 24:8-51

81But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

9“2Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and 3you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10And at that time many will 45fall away, and they will 6betray one another and hate one another. 11And many 7false prophets will rise up and 8mislead many people. 12And because lawlessness is increased, 9most people’s love will become cold. 1310But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. 14This 11gospel of the kingdom 12shall be preached in the whole 1314world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15“Therefore when you see the 15abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in 16the holy place--1718let the 19reader understand-- 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 1720Whoever is on 21the 22housetop must not go down to get things out of his house. 18And 23whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19But 24woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20Moreover, pray that 25when you flee, it will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21For then there will be a 26great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. 22And if those days had not been cut short, no 27life would have been saved; but for 28the sake of the 29elect those days will be cut short. 2330Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the 31Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him. 24For false christs and 32false prophets will arise and will provide great 3334signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even 35the 36elect. 25Behold, I have told you in advance. 26So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 2737For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the 38coming of the 39Son of Man 40be. 2841Wherever the corpse is, there the 42vultures will gather.

29“But immediately after the 43tribulation of those days 44the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and 45the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30And then 46the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 47the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31And 48He will send forth His angels with 49a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His 5051elect from 52the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

32“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33so you too, when you see all these things, 53recognize that 54He is near, right 55at the 56door. 34Truly I say to you, 57this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 3558Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36“But 59about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37For 60the 61coming of the Son of Man will be 62just like the days of Noah. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, 63marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that 64Noah entered the ark, 39and they did not 65understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the 66coming of the Son of Man be. 40At that time there will be two men in the field; one 67will be taken and one 68will be left. 4169Two women will be grinding at the 7071mill; one 72will be taken and one 73will be left.

42“Therefore 74be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43But 75be sure of this, that 76if the head of the house had known 77at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44For this reason 78you must be ready as well; for 79the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45“80Who then is the 81faithful and 82sensible slave whom his 83master 84put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? 46Blessed is that slave whom his 85master finds so doing when he comes. 47Truly I say to you that 86he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My 87master 88is not coming for a long time,’ 49and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; 50then the 89master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, 51and he will 90cut him in two and assign 91him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be 92weeping and gnashing of teeth.