Matthew 24:4–26

⁴Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives^q you. ⁵For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.^{r 6}You 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^As and earthquakes in various places.^{t 8}All these events are the beginning of labor pains.^u

PERSECUTIONS PREDICTED

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.^{v 10}Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. ¹¹Many false prophets^w will rise up and deceive many. ¹²Because lawlessness^x 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^B as a testimony to all nations,^y and then the end will come.^z

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

¹⁵“So when you see the abomination of desolation,^C spoken of by the prophet Daniel,^aa standing in the holy place”^ab (let the reader understand), ¹⁶“then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. ¹⁷A man on the housetop^D must not come down to get things out of his house,^{ac 18}and 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,^ad 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^F be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.^ae

²³“If anyone tells you then, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’^a or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it.^{b 24}For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray,^c 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.