Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed^(A)

²⁰ “When you see armies all around Jerusalem, you will know ·it will soon be destroyed [^Lits desolation draws near/is at hand]. ²¹ At that time, the people in Judea should run away to the mountains. The people in Jerusalem must get out, and those who are ·near the city [in the countryside] should not go in. ²² These are the days of ·punishment [vengeance; retribution] to ·bring about [fulfill] all that is written in the Scriptures. ²³ ·How terrible it will be for [^LWoe to] women who are pregnant or have nursing babies [^Lin those days]! [^LFor; Because] Great ·trouble [distress; calamity] will come upon this land, and ·God will be angry with these people [^Lwrath will come against this people]. ²⁴ They will ·be killed by [^Lfall by the mouth of] the sword and taken as ·prisoners [captives] to all nations. Jerusalem will be ·crushed [trampled] by Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles is ·over [fulfilled].

¹⁵ “You will see ‘·a blasphemous object that brings destruction [^Tthe abomination of desolation; ^Ca phrase taken from Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11, and originally referring to the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 bc],’ which Daniel the prophet spoke about. ·It [or He] will be standing in the holy place.” (You who read this should understand what it means [^Cprobably a reference to the soon-to-occur destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70].) ¹⁶ “At that time, the people in Judea should ·run away [flee] to the mountains. ¹⁷ If people are on the roofs of their houses [^Croofs in Palestine were flat and used as spare rooms and for storage], they must not go down to get anything out of their houses. ¹⁸ If people are in the fields, they must not go back to get their ·coats [cloaks]. ¹⁹ At that time, ·how terrible it will be for [^Lwoe to] women who are pregnant or have nursing babies! ²⁰ Pray that it will not be ·winter [bad weather] or a Sabbath day when these things happen and you have to run away, ²¹ because at that time there will be much ·trouble [distress; ^Ttribulation]. There will be more ·trouble [distress; ^Ttribulation]. than there has ever been since the beginning of the world until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen again [Dan. 12:1]. ²² ·God has decided to make that terrible time short [^LIf those days had not been shortened (by God)…; ^Cthe passive verb implies God as subject]. Otherwise, no one would ·go on living [survive; ^Lbe saved]. But God will make that time short ·to help the people he has chosen [for the sake of the elect].

¹⁴ “You will see ‘·a blasphemous object that brings destruction’ [^Tthe abomination of desolation; ^Ca phrase taken from Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11, and originally referring to the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 bc] standing where ·it [or he] should not be.” (You who read this should understand what it means [^Cprobably a reference to the (soon-to-occur) destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70].) “At that time, the people in Judea should ·run away [flee] to the mountains. ¹⁵ If people are on the roofs of their houses [^Croofs in Palestine were flat and used as spare rooms and for storage], they must not go down or go inside to get anything out of their houses. ¹⁶ If people are in the fields, they must not go back to get their ·coats [cloaks]. ¹⁷ At that time, ·how terrible it will be for [^Lwoe to] women who are pregnant or have nursing babies! ¹⁸ Pray that these things will not happen in ·winter [bad weather], ¹⁹ because those days will be full of ·trouble [distress; ^Ttribulation]. There will be more ·trouble [distress; ^Ttribulation] than there has ever been since the beginning, when God made the world, until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen again [Dan. 12:1]. ²⁰ ·God has decided to make that terrible time short [^LIf the Lord had not shortened those days…]. Otherwise, no one would ·go on living [survive; ^Lbe saved]. But God will make that time short ·to help [for the sake of] ·the people [the elect] he has chosen.