The Gospel According to St. Matthew

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 24 -

(Mark 13:1–8; Luke 21:5–9)

And Iesus went out, and departed from the Temple, and his disciples came to him, to shewe him the building of the Temple.

And Iesus sayd vnto them, See ye not all these things? Verely I say vnto you, there shall not be here left a stone vpon a stone, that shall not be cast downe.

And as he sate vpon the mount of Oliues, his disciples came vnto him apart, saying, Tell vs when these things shall be, and what signe shalbe of thy comming, and of the ende of the world.

And Iesus answered, and sayd vnto them, Take heede that no man deceiue you.

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceiue many.

And ye shall heare of warres, and rumours of warres: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to passe, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and realme against realme, and there shalbe famine, and pestilence, and earthquakes in diuers places.

All these are but ye beginning of sorowes.

Witnessing to All Nations

(Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:10–19)

Then shall they deliuer you vp to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my Names sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceiue many.

And because iniquitie shalbe increased, the loue of many shalbe colde.

But he that endureth to the ende, he shalbe saued.

And this Gospel of the kingdome shalbe preached through the whole world for a witnes vnto all nations, and then shall the end come.

The Abomination of Desolation

(Mark 13:14–23; Luke 21:20–24)

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, set in the holy place (let him that readeth consider it.)

Then let them which be in Iudea, flee into the mountaines.

Let him which is on the house top, not come downe to fetch any thing out of his house.

And he that is in the fielde, let not him returne backe to fetch his clothes.

And woe shalbe to them that are with childe, and to them that giue sucke in those dayes.

But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the worlde to this time, nor shalbe.

And except those dayes should be shortened, there should no flesh be saued: but for the elects sake those dayes shalbe shortened.

Then if any shall say vnto you, Loe, here is Christ, or there, beleeue it not.

For there shall arise false Christes, and false prophets, and shall shewe great signes and wonders, so that if it were possible, they should deceiue the very elect.

Beholde, I haue tolde you before.

The Return of the Son of Man

(Mark 13:24–27; Luke 21:25–28)

Wherefore if they shall say vnto you, Beholde, he is in the desert, goe not forth: Beholde, he is in the secret places, beleeue it not.

For as the lightning commeth out of the East, and is seene into the West, so shall also the comming of the Sonne of man be.

For wheresoeuer a dead carkeis is, thither will the Egles be gathered together.

And immediatly after ye tribulations of those dayes, shall the sunne be darkened, and the moone shall not giue her light, and the starres shall fal from heauen, and ye powers of heaue shalbe shake.

And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen: and then shall all the kinreds of the earth mourne, and they shall see the Sonne of man come in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glorie.

And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect, from the foure windes, and from the one ende of the heauens vnto the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

(Mark 13:28–31; Luke 21:29–33)

Now learne the parable of the figge tree: when her bough is yet tender, and it putteth foorth leaues, ye knowe that sommer is neere.

So likewise ye, when ye see all these things, know that the kingdom of God is neere, eue at ye doores.

Verely I say vnto you, this generation shall not passe, till all these things be done.

Heauen and earth shall passe away: but my wordes shall not passe away.

Readiness at Any Hour

(Genesis 6:1–7; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 12:35–48)

But of that day and houre knoweth no man, no not the Angels of heauen, but my father only.

But as the dayes of Noe were, so likewise shall the comming of the Sonne of man be.

For as in the dayes before the flood, they did eate and drinke, marrie, and giue in mariage, vnto the day that Noe entred into the Arke,

And knewe nothing, till the flood came, and tooke them all away, so shall also the comming of the Sonne of man be.

Then two shall be in the fieldes, the one shalbe receiued, and the other shalbe refused.

Two women shalbe grinding at ye mill: the one shalbe receiued, and the other shalbe refused.

Watch therefore: for ye knowe not what houre your master will come.

Of this be sure, that if the good man of the house knewe at what watch the thiefe would come, he woulde surely watch, and not suffer his house to be digged through.

Therefore be ye also ready: for in the houre that ye thinke not, will the Sonne of man come.

Who then is a faithfull seruaunt and wise, whom his master hath made ruler ouer his household, to giue them meate in season?

Blessed is that seruant, whom his master when he commeth, shall finde so doing.

Verely I say vnto you, he shall make him ruler ouer all his goods.

But if that euil seruant shall say in his heart, My master doth deferre his comming,

And begin to smite his fellowes, and to eate, and to drinke with the drunken,

That seruaunts master will come in a day, when he looketh not for him, and in an houre that he is not ware of,

And will cut him off, and giue him his portion with hypocrites: there shalbe weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

(Mark 13:1–8; Luke 21:5–9)

Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.

But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.

For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.

But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

Witnessing to All Nations

(Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:10–19)

“Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.

Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.

Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray.

Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

But he who endures to the end will be saved.

This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

(Mark 13:14–23; Luke 21:20–24)

“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, (a) which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.

Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.

But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!

Pray that your flight will not be in the winter nor on a Sabbath,

for then there will be great suffering, (b) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.

Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There!’ don’t believe it.

For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.

“Behold, I have told you beforehand.

The Return of the Son of Man

(Mark 13:24–27; Luke 21:25–28)

“If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it.

For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures (c) gather together.

“But immediately after the suffering (d) of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; (e)

and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

(Mark 13:28–31; Luke 21:29–33)

“Now from the fig tree learn this parable: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.

Most certainly I tell you, this generation (f) will not pass away until all these things are accomplished.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Readiness at Any Hour

(Genesis 6:1–7; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 12:35–48)

“But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, (g) but my Father only.

As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,

and they didn’t know until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.

Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.

Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’

and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,

and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

Footnotes

(a)24:15 ℘ Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11

(b)24:21 or, oppression

(d)24:29 or, oppression

(e)24:29 ℘ Isaiah 13:10; 34:4

(f)24:34 The word for “generation” (genea) can also be translated as “race.”

(g)24:36 NU adds “nor the son”