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¹ As Jesus was going from the temple, his disciples came and desired him to take a view of the buildings. ² Jesus said to them, observe this vast structure, I tell you for certain, there shall not be any part of it left standing, but it shall be all thrown into ruins. ³ And when he was upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private, and said, tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of this age?

⁴ Jesus answered them, take care not to be deceived by any one: ⁵ for many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ: and shall deceive many. ⁶ ye shall hear likewise of wars, and rumours of wars: take care not to be disturb'd: for these things must happen, but the end of the Jewish age is not yet. ⁷ for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. ⁸ yet all this is but the beginning of sorrow. ⁹ then shall they deliver you up to torments, and to death: and ye shall be hated by all nations upon my account. ¹⁰ then shall many relapse, and shall pursue one another with mutual treachery and hatred. ¹¹ many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ¹² and as iniquity becomes more flagrant, the zeal of many will grow cool. ¹³ but he that shall persevere unto the end, shall be preserved. ¹⁴ and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, to testify to all nations, that the end will then come. ¹⁵ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, mention'd by Daniel the prophet, stand about the holy place, (let him that readeth, ¹⁶ consider it well) let those who are then in Judea, flee into the mountains, ¹⁷ he that is on the battlements, let him not venture to go in to take any thing out of his house. ¹⁸ if any man be in the field, let him not return back to take his coat. ¹⁹ unhappy will they be that are with child, and they that give suck in those days. ²⁰ be sure to pray that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the sabbath-day: ²¹ for the desolation will be so dreadful, the like was never seen since the beginning of the world, no, nor ever shall be again. ²² for unless the time was to be short, very few could escape, but for the sake of the converts the time shall be short. ²³ Then if any shall cry, the Messiah is here, or he is there: give no credit to it. ²⁴ for there shall arise false Messiahs, and false prophets, and shall shew such astonishing miracles and prodigies, as to deceive, if that can do it, the very converts themselves. ²⁵ remember, I have forewarn'd you. ²⁶ wherefore, if they shall say to you, now he is in the desert, do not stir: or now, he is in the secret chambers, believe them not. ²⁷ for as the lightning darts from the east in an instant to the west: such shall the advent of the son of man be. ²⁸ for whereever the carcase is, there will the eagles be assembled. ²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkned, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. ³⁰ then shall that sign, the son of man in the clouds of heaven, appear: and all the tribes of the land shall mourn, and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. ³¹ and he shall send his messengers, who with the shrill sound of a trumpet, shall gather together his select from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.

³² this may be illustrated by a comparison taken from a fig-tree: when the branches become tender, and push out their leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: ³³ in like manner, when ye shall see all these things happen, know that he is come to your very doors. ³⁴ I declare unto you, the present generation shall not cease, till all these things are pass'd. ³⁵ heaven and earth may fail, but my words shall never fail. ³⁶ As to the day and hour, that no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but the father only. ³⁷ as the days of Noe were, so shall also the advent of the son of man be. ³⁸ for as at the time that usher'd in the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying themselves and their children, till the day that Noe entred into the ark, ³⁹ having no thoughts of the flood till it came, and swept them all away; so shall also the advent of the son of man be. ⁴⁰ of two persons, who shall be then in the field, one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴¹ two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴² watch therefore, for ye know not at what hour your Lord shall come. ⁴³ but this you conceive, that if a man knew at what hour of the night the thief would come, he would set a watch, and not suffer his house to be broke open. ⁴⁴ therefore be ye also prepar'd: for the son of man may come at an hour you least expect. ⁴⁵ If then there be a servant, appointed by his master to take care of his family, who faithfully and prudently distributes their allowance according to the establishment: happy is the servant, ⁴⁶ who shall be found so employed, at his master's return. ⁴⁷ I tell you, he shall make him steward of all his estate. ⁴⁸ but if he be dishonest, and says to himself, my Lord delays coming, ⁴⁹ and shall pretend to assault his fellow-servants, and spend his time with sots: ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come in a day when he least expects it, and at an hour he is not aware of; ⁵¹ and shall turn him out of the family, and give him the reward due to such behaviour: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.