Matthew 24-25
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 24
1Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2But He responded and said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.'
4And Jesus answered and said to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you.
5For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people.
6And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.
9Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.
11And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people.
12And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold.
13But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.
14This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place— let the reader understand—
16then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.
17Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house.
18And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
19But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20Moreover, pray that when you flee, it will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
21For then there will be a great 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 life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘ He is over here,’ do not believe him.
24For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
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.
27For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
29But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30And then the 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 the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
31And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32Now 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, recognize that He is near, right at the door.
34Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
36But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
37For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
42Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
43But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at 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 you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time?
46Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
47Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is 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 master 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 cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
1Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; 4but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. 5Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. 6But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9However, the prudent ones answered, ‘ No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.
14For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.
15To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
16The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents.
17In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more.
18But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.
20The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents.’
21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
22Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents.’
23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
24Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed.
25And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’
26But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed?
27Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
28Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
30And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
31But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
32And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
33and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
34Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
37Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
38And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’
41Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
44Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’
45Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’
46These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.'
King James Version
Chapter 24
1And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
16Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25Behold, I have told you before.
26Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 24
1As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings. 2He replied to them, "Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down."
4Jesus replied to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you.
5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.
6You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.
7For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8All these events are the beginning of labor pains.
9"Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.
10Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another.
11Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.
13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15"So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place" (let the reader understand),
16"then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
17A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house,
18and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat.
19Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!
20Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
21For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again.
22Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.
23"If anyone tells you then, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it.
24For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
25Take note: I have told you in advance.
26So if they tell you, ‘See, he’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; or, ‘See, he’s in the storerooms!’ do not believe it.
27For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
29"Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32"Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
33In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near—at the door.
34Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36"Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son —except the Father alone.
37As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.
38For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.
39They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be.
40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
41Two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill; one will be taken and one left.
42Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
43But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.
44This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?
46Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.
47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’
49and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards,
50that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know.
51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; 4but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
7"Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
8The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
10"When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.
11Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’
14"For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
15To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately
16the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more.
17In the same way the man with two earned two more.
18But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’
24"The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed.
25So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26"His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered,
27then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.
28"‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
29For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him
30And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.
34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35"‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in;
36I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’
37"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you?
39When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’
41"Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!
42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink;
43I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’
New Living Translation
Chapter 24
1As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2But he responded, 'Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!'
4Jesus told them, 'Don’t let anyone mislead you,
5for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.
6And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.
7Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.
8But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
9Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.
10And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other.
11And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.
12Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.
15The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about — the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.' (Reader, pay attention!)
16Then 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.
23Then 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.
26So 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.
30And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world — from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
32Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.
33In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.
34I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place.
35Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
37When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.
38In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.
39People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left.
41Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
43Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.
44You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
45A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.
46If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.
47I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.
48But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’
49and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?
50The master will return unannounced and unexpected,
51and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
1Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.
8Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
10But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.
11Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
14Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.
15He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last — dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
16The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more.
17The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.
18But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.
20The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
24Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.
25I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
27why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver.
29To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
30Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.
32All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
35For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.
36I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?
39When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
41Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
42For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.
43I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
English Standard Version
Chapter 24
1Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.
5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name 's sake.
10And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,
18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
19And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
25See, I have told you beforehand.
26So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
29"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.
33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
34Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
36"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
37For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
47Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
48But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’
49and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,
50the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know
51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
1"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
14"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master 's money.
19Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’
21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’
23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
26But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
New International Version
Chapter 24
1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.
5For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.
6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15"So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—
16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.
18Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.
19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22"If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
23At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25See, I have told you ahead of time.
26"So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
30"Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.
31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.
34Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
36"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’
49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.
51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.
15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.
17So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.
18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
24"Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26"His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.
29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37"Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
41"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
New King James Version
Chapter 24
1Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
4And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.
5For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
10And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
15“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),
16“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
19But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25See, I have told you beforehand.
26“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
28For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
29“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
32“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
33So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
34Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
37But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
43But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
46Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
47Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’
49and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
50the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,
51and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
1“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
7Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9But the wise answered, saying, ‘ No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
14“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
16Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
18But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
19After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
21His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
22He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
23His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
30And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
33And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
34Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
42for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
43I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
46And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
