Matthew 24:16-28

16“Then those in Judea must flee to the hills.

17A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack.

18A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.

19How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.

20And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.

22In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.

23“Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.

24For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

25See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

26“So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!

27For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.

28Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.