Matthew

¹Jesus went out from the temple and was going on his way. His disciples came to him and showed him the buildings of the temple. ²But Jesus told them, “You see all of these things, do you not? Amen, I tell you that not one stone will be left standing on another; all will be thrown down.”

³As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming³³² and of the end of the age?”

⁴Jesus answered them, “Be careful not to be led astray! ⁵For many will come in my Name, saying: ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many people astray. ⁶You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Do not be troubled; all of this must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸But all these things are [only] the beginning of the birth pains. ⁹Then they will deliver you up to oppression and they will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations for my Name’s sake. ¹⁰Many will stumble and will betray and hate each other. ¹¹Many false prophets will arise and they will lead many astray. ¹²Because wickedness will be multiplied, 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 preached in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The abomination of desolation—The great tribulation

¹⁵Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation³³³ which was spoken about by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷The one who is on the housetop should not [even] go down to carry out the things that are in the house. ¹⁸The one who is in the field should not [even] return to get his clothes. ¹⁹But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! ²⁰Pray that your flight will not be in the winter or a Sabbath day. ²¹For then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and such as will never be again. ²²Unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect,³³⁴ those days will be shortened.

²³Then if any one tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ do not believe it! ²⁴False messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders in order to lead many astray, and if possible, even the elect.

²⁵Behold, I have told you this in advance. ²⁶If therefore people tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it! ²⁷For as the lightning flashes from the east and is seen even to the west, this is how the coming of the Son of Man will be.

The sign of the Son of Man—The glorious coming

²⁸For wherever the body³³⁵ is, there the eagles³³⁶ will be gathered together. ²⁹But immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, the powers of the heavens will be shaken;^{337 30}and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky.³³⁸ All the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven³³⁹ with power and great glory. ³¹He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet³⁴⁰ and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Learning from the fig tree—The days of Noah—Hour and day unknown

³²Now learn this parable from the fig tree. When its branch has become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near. ³³Likewise, when you see all these things, know that the time is near, even at the doors. ³⁴Amen, I tell you that this generation³⁴¹ will not pass away until all these things are accomplished. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away,³⁴² but my words will not pass away. ³⁶No one knows that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven,³⁴³ but only my Father.

³⁷As in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸Just as in the days which were before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. ³⁹They did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so also will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken³⁴⁴ and one will be left; ⁴¹two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one will be left! ⁴²Therefore, watch, because you do not know in what hour your Lord is coming. ⁴³However, 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 not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴Therefore, be ready, for it is at an hour which you do not expect that the Son of Man will come.

The faithful and wise servant

⁴⁵Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom his master³⁴⁵ has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? ⁴⁶Blessed is that slave whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. ⁴⁷Amen, I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. ⁴⁸But if that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his return,’ ⁴⁹and if he should begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰the lord of that slave will come in a day when he does not expect it and in an hour when he does not know, ⁵¹and he will cut him into pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. And there will be weeping and gnashing³⁴⁶ of teeth.”

The parable of the ten wise and foolish virgins

332. Greek parousi,aj
333. Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
334. Or “chosen ones”
335. An obscure verse, perhaps a reference to the Church as the Eucharistic gathering. The Greek word may also convey the idea of “corpse”—see note on Luke 17:3.
336. According to St. John Chrysostom, this verse refers to “the multitude of the angels, of the martyrs, of all the saints.” Some translators prefer “where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” which is also consistent with the context (“where,” the ‘taking away’ of the wicked) and biblical imagery (Proverbs 30:17; 1 Kings 21:24; Revelation 19:21)
337. See Isaias 13:10; 34:4
338. Or “in heaven”
339. Or “the sky”
340. Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:16
341. The word for “generation” (genea) can also be translated as “race”
342. See Hebrews 1:10-13
343. CT adds “nor the son.” The reading of the parallel passage (Mark 13:32) is not disputed.
344. In context, this indicates being lost or destroyed.
345. Or “lord”
346. Or “grinding”