²⁰“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. ²¹Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside it^c must depart, and those in the fields must not enter into it, ²²because these are days of vengeance, so that all the things that are written can be fulfilled. ²³Woe to those who are pregnant^d and to those who are nursing their babies^* in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people, ²⁴and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations,^e and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Arrival of the Son of Man

²⁵“And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity from the noise of the sea and its surging, ²⁶people fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.^f ²⁷And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud^g with power and great glory. ²⁸But when^* these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!”

The Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁹And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰When they put out foliage,^* now you see for yourselves and^* know that by this time the summer is near. ³¹So also you, when you see these things happening, know^h that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all things take place! ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Be Alert

³⁴“But take care for yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly ³⁵like a trap. For it will come upon all who reside on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷So throughout the days he was teaching in the temple courts,^* and throughout the nights he was going out and^* spending the night on the hill that is called the Mount of Olives. ³⁸And all the people were getting up very early in the morning to come^* to him in the temple courts^* to listen to him.

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Footnotes

cLiterally “in the midst of it”
dLiterally “who have in the womb”
*The words “their babies” are not in the Greek text but are supplied as a necessary clarification
eThe same Greek word, occurring three times in this verse, can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context
fAn allusion to Isa 34:4
gAn allusion to Dan 7:13
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“begin”)
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“see”) has been translated as a finite verb
hOr “you know”
*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“was going out”) has been translated as a finite verb
*The words “to come” are not in the Greek text but are implied
*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself