Luke 21:5–19

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

⁵When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said,^{* 6}“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”^*

Signs and Persecutions

⁷They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” ⁸And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’^z and, ‘The time is near!’^a Do not go after them.^*

⁹“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” ¹⁰Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom;^{* 11}there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

¹²“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.^{* 13}This will give you an opportunity to testify.^{* 14}So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance,^{* 15}for I will give you words^b and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.^{* 16}You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.^{* 17}You will be hated by all because of my name.^{* 18}But not a hair of your head will perish.^{* 19}By your endurance you will gain your souls.^*