13:1 As He was leaving the Temple, one of His disciples exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi, what wonderful stones! what wonderful buildings!"

13:2 "You see all these great buildings?" Jesus replied; "not one stone will be left here upon another--not thrown down."

13:3 He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,

13:4 "Tell us, When will these things be? and what will be the sign when all these predictions are on the point of being fulfilled?"

13:5 So Jesus began to say to them: "Take care that no one misleads you.

13:6 Many will come assuming my name and saying, `I am He;' and they will mislead many.

13:7 But when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed: come they must, but the End is not yet.

13:8 For arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.> There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These miseries are but like the early pains of childbirth.

13:9 "You yourselves must be on your guard. They will deliver you up to Sanhedrins; you will be brought into synagogues and cruelly beaten; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to be witnesses to them for me.

13:10 But the proclamation of the Good News must be carried to all the Gentiles before the End comes.

13:11 When however they are marching you along under arrest, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say, but speak what is given you when the time comes; for it will not be you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

13:12 "Brother will betray brother to be killed, and fathers will betray children; and and have them put to death.

13:13 You will be objects of universal hatred because you are called by my name, but those who stand firm to the End will be saved.

13:14 "As soon, however, as you see the <Abomination of Desolation> standing where he ought not" --let the reader observe these words--"then let those in Judaea escape to the hills;

13:15 let him who is on the roof not come down and enter the house to fetch anything out of it;

13:16 and let not him who is in the field turn back to pick up his outer garment.

13:17 And alas for the women who at that time are with child or have infants!

13:18 "But pray that it may not come in the winter.

13:19 For those will be times of God's world until now,> and assuredly never will be again;

13:20 and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days, no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days.

13:21 "At that time if any one says to you, `See, here is the Christ!' or `See, He is there!' do not believe it.

13:22 For false Christs and false with a view to lead astray--if indeed that were possible--even God's own People.

13:23 But as for yourselves, be on your guard: I have forewarned you of everything.

13:24 <"At that time,> however, after that sun will be darkened and the moon will not shed her light;

13:25 the stars will be seen falling from the firmament, and the forces which are in the heavens will be disordered and disturbed.>

13:26 And then will they see with great power and glory.

13:27 Then He will send forth the angels and gather together His chosen People from north, south, east and west, from the remotest parts of the earth and the sky.

13:28 "Learn from the fig-tree the lesson it teaches. As soon as its branch has become soft and it is bursting into leaf, you know that summer is near.

13:29 So also do you, when you see these things happening, be sure that He is near, at your very door.

13:30 I tell you in solemn truth that the present generation will certainly not pass away without all these things having first taken place.

13:31 Earth and sky will pass away, but it is certain that my words will not pass away.

13:32 "But as to that day or the exact time no one knows--not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

13:33 Take care, be on the alert, and pray; for you do not know when it will happen.

13:34 It is like a man living abroad who has left his house, and given the management to his servants--to each one his special duty--and has ordered the porter to keep awake.

13:35 Be wakeful therefore, for you know not when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at cock-crow, or at dawn.

13:36 Beware lest He should arrive unexpectedly and find you asleep.