The Coming of the Kingdom of God

20 Now when he* was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with ⌊things that can be observed⌋,f 21 nor will they say, ‘Behold, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

The Coming of the Son of Man

22 And he said to the disciples, “Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.* 23 And they will say to you, ‘Behold, there!’ ‘Behold, here!’g Do not go out or run after them!* 24 For just as the lightning shines forth, flashing from one place under heaven to another place under heaven, so the Son of Man will be in his day. 25 But first it is necessary for him to suffer many things, and to be rejected by this generation. 26 And just as it was in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man—27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. 29 But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be ⌊just the same⌋h on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, whoever is on the housetop and his goods are in the house must not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it* will keep it. 34 I tell you that in that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 There will be two women* grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left.”i

37 And they answered and* said to him, “Where, Lord?” So he said to them, “Where the dead body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”

The Parable of the Unjust Judge

18 And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged, 2 saying, “There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. 3 And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary!’ 4 And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, ‘Even if I do not fear God or respect people, 5 yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her* coming back!’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! 7 And will not God surely ⌊see to it that justice is done⌋a to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? 8 I tell you that ⌊he will see to it that justice is done⌋b for them soon! Nevertheless, when* the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?”