The Coming Son of Man Calls for Faithful Readiness

24:2But 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.”

24:3As 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?”

24:4Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray.

24:5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.

24:6You 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.

24:7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.

24:8But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

24:9“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.

24:10Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.

24:11Many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray.

24:12Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.

24:13But he who endures to the end will be saved.

24:14This 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.

24:15“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

24:16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

24:17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.

24:18Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.

24:19But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!

24:20Pray that your flight will not be in the winter nor on a Sabbath,

24:21for then there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.

24:22Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

24:23“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There!’ don’t believe it.

24:24For 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.

24:25“Behold, I have told you beforehand.

24:26“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.

24:27For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

24:28For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together.

24:29“But immediately after the suffering 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;

24:30and 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.

24:31He 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.

24:32“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.

24:33Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.

24:34Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished.

24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

24:36“But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

24:37As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

24:38For 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,

24:39and they didn’t know until the flood came and took them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

24:40Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.

24:41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left.

24:42Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.

24:43But 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.

24:44Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.

24:45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

24:46Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.

24:47Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

24:48But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’

24:49and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,

24:50the 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,

24:51and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

25:2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

25:3Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

25:4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

25:5Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

25:6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’

25:7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

25:8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

25:9But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

25:10While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

25:11Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’

25:12But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

25:13Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

25:14“For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.

25:15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

25:16Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

25:17In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.

25:18But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

25:19“Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them.

25:20He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’

25:21“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

25:22“He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’

25:23“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

25:24“He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.

25:25I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’

25:26“But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.

25:27You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

25:28Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

25:29For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.

25:30Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

25:31“But 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.

25:32Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

25:33He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

25:34Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

25:35for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.

25:36I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’

25:37“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?

25:38When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you?

25:39When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

25:40“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

25:41Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

25:42for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

25:43I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

25:44“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’

25:45“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’

25:46These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”