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Mark 13
Contemporary English Version
Mark 13
Contemporary English Version
The Temple Will Be Destroyed
(Matthew 24.1,2; Luke 21.5,6)
13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these beautiful stones and wonderful buildings!”
2 Jesus replied, “Do you see these huge buildings? They will certainly be torn down! Not one stone will be left in place.”
Warning about Trouble
(Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19)
3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4 (A) They asked, “When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
5 Jesus answered:
Watch out and don't let anyone fool you! 6 Many will come and claim to be me. They will use my name and fool many people.
7 When you hear about wars and threats of wars, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isn't the end. 8 Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. There will be earthquakes in many places, and people will starve to death. But this is just the beginning of troubles.
9 (B) Be on your guard! You will be taken to courts and beaten with whips in their synagogues. And because of me, you will have to stand before rulers and kings to tell about your faith. 10 But before the end comes, the good news must be preached to all nations.
11 When you are arrested, don't worry about what you will say. You will be given the right words when the time comes. But you will not really be the ones speaking. Your words will come from the Holy Spirit.
12 Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 13 (C) Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.
The Horrible Thing
(Matthew 24.15-21; Luke 21.20-24)
14 (D) Someday you will see that “Horrible Thing” where it should not be.[a] Everyone who reads this must try to understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. 15 (E) If you are on the roof[b] of your house, don't go inside to get anything. 16 If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. 17 It will be an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. 18 Pray that it won't happen in winter.[c] 19 (F) This will be the worst time of suffering since God created the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. 20 If the Lord doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of his chosen and special ones, he will make the time shorter.
21 If someone should say, “Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!” don't believe it. 22 False messiahs and false prophets will come and work miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones. 23 But be on your guard! That's why I am telling you these things now.
When the Son of Man Appears
(Matthew 24.29-31; Luke 21.25-28)
24 (G) In those days, right after this time of suffering,
“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
will no longer shine.
25 (H) The stars will fall,
and the powers in the sky[d]
will be shaken.”
26 (I) Then the Son of Man will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.
A Lesson from a Fig Tree
(Matthew 24.32-35; Luke 21.29-33)
28 Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. 29 So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come.[e] 30 You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. 31 The sky and the earth will not last forever, but my words will.
No One Knows the Day or Time
(Matthew 24.36-44)
32 (J) No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know. Only the Father knows. 33 So watch out and be ready! You don't know when the time will come. 34 (K) It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert. 35 So be alert! You don't know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning. 36 But if he comes suddenly, don't let him find you asleep. 37 I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert!
Footnotes
- 13.14 where it should not be: Probably the holy place in the temple.
- 13.15 roof: See the note at 2.4.
- 13.18 in winter: In Palestine the winters are cold and rainy and make travel difficult.
- 13.25 the powers in the sky: In ancient times people thought that the stars were spiritual powers.
- 13.29 the time has almost come: Or “he (that is, the Son of Man) will soon be here.”
Mark 13
New International Version
Mark 13
New International Version
The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(A)
13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”(B)
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives(C) opposite the temple, Peter, James, John(D) and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.(E) 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.(F) On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.(G)
12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.(H) 13 Everyone will hate you because of me,(I) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(J)
14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a](K) standing where it[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!(L) 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world,(M) until now—and never to be equaled again.(N)
20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.(O) 22 For false messiahs and false prophets(P) will appear and perform signs and wonders(Q) to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard;(R) I have told you everything ahead of time.
24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[c](S)
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds(T) with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.(U)
28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation(V) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(W) 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(X)
The Day and Hour Unknown
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.(Y) 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]!(Z) You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants(AA) in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”(AB)
Footnotes
- Mark 13:14 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
- Mark 13:14 Or he
- Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
- Mark 13:29 Or he
- Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts alert and pray
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