Mark 13:14–14:31

The Abomination of Desolation

¹⁴“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the one who reads understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁵The one^b who is on his^c housetop must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house, ¹⁶and the one who is in the field must not turn back to pick up his cloak. ¹⁷And woe to those who are pregnant^d and to those who are nursing their babies^* in those days! ¹⁸But pray that it will not happen in winter. ¹⁹For in those days there will be tribulation of such a kind as has not happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will happen. ²⁰And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved.^e But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has shortened the days.

²¹“And at that time if anyone should say to you, “Behold, here is the Christ,’ ‘Behold, there he is,’ do not believe him!^{* 22}For false messiahs and false prophets will appear, and will produce signs and wonders in order to mislead, if possible, the elect. ²³But you, watch out! I have told you everything ahead of time!

The Arrival of the Son of Man

²⁴“But in those days, after that tribulation,

‘the sun will be darkened

and the moon will not give its light,

²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven,

and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.’^f

²⁶And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷And then he will send out the angels, and will gather the^g elect together from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁸“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch has already become tender and puts forth its^h leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also you, when you see these things happening, knowⁱ that he is near, at the door. ³⁰Truly I say to you that this generation will never pass away until all these things take place! ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Unknown Day and Hour

³²“But concerning that day or hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the Father. ³³Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is! ³⁴It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority—to each one his work—and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert. ³⁵Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning—³⁶lest he arrive suddenly and^* find you sleeping. ³⁷And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be on the alert!”

The Chief Priests and Scribes Plot to Kill Jesus

14Now after two days it was the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how, after^* arresting him by stealth, they could kill him.^{* 2}For they said, “Not at the feast, lest there be an uproar by the people.”

Jesus’ Anointing at Bethany

³And while^* he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as^* he was reclining for a meal, a woman came holding an alabaster flask of very costly perfumed oil of genuine nard. After^* breaking the alabaster flask, she poured it^* out on his head. ⁴But some were expressing indignation to one another:^a “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? ⁵For this perfumed oil could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor!” And they began to scold^b her. ⁶But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you cause trouble for her? She has done a good deed to me. ⁷For the poor you always have with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me. ⁸She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand^c for burial. ⁹And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

Judas Arranges to Betray Jesus

¹⁰And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. ¹¹And when^* they heard this,^* they were delighted, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking^d how he could betray him conveniently.

Jesus’ Final Passover with the Disciples

¹²And on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and^* prepare, so that you can eat the Passover?” ¹³And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, ¹⁴and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ ¹⁵And he will show you a large upstairs room furnished^e and^* ready, and prepare for us there.” ¹⁶And the disciples went out and came into the city and found everything^* just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷And when it^* was evening, he arrived with the twelve. ¹⁸And while^* they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, that one of you who is eating with me will betray me.” ¹⁹They began to be distressed and to say to him one by one, “Surely not I?”^{f 20}But he said to them, “It is one of the twelve—the one who is dipping bread^* into the bowl with me. ²¹For the Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if that man had not been born.”

The Lord’s Supper

²²And while^* they were eating, he took bread and,^* after^* giving thanks, he broke it^* and gave it^* to them and said, “Take it,^* this is my body.” ²³And after^* taking the cup and^* giving thanks, he gave it^* to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many. ²⁵Truly I say to you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine any longer until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” ²⁶And after they^* had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

²⁷And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd

and the sheep will be scattered.’^g

²⁸But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” ²⁹But Peter said to him, “Even if they all fall away, certainly I will not!” ³⁰And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that today—this night—before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times!” ³¹But he kept saying emphatically, “If it is necessary for me to die with you, I will never deny you!” And they all were saying the same thing also.