Beware the scribes + the widow’s gift (continued)
- And having looked up, He saw the rich men putting their gifts into the treasury.
- And He saw a poor widow putting in two pennies.
- And He said: “Truly I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all others.
- “For all these men put in their gifts from their overflow, but she gave from her poverty, and she put in all the livelihood that she had.”
The Temple’s Destruction Prophesied
- And with some men speaking about the temple, that it was *adorned with magnificent stones and consecrated gifts, He said:
- “These things that you’re gazing at, days will come in which there won’t be one stone left upon another stone here which won’t be torn down.”
- And they asked Him, saying: “Teacher, so when will these things be? And what’s the sign when these things are about to happen?
- And He said: “Beware lest you are misled, for many will come in My name, saying: “I Am he“, and: “The season is near”. Don’t go after them.
- “And when hear of wars and uprisings, don’t be alarmed, for it’s necessary for these things to happen first, but the end doesn’t happen immediately.”
- Then He was telling them: “Nation will be raised against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
- “There will be both great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places; and there will be both fearful sights and great signs in the sky.
- “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, handing you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you to kings and governors on account of My name.
- “It will result in a testimony for you.
- “Therefore, establish in your minds not to prepare a verbal defense beforehand.
- “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which the men opposing you won’t be able to resist or to contradict.
- “And you will be betrayed even by parents, and relatives, and friends, and they will kill some of you.
- “And you will be hated by all because of My name.
- “And yet a hair from your head definitely won’t perish.
- “You shall acquire your lives by your perseverance.”
- “And when you see Jerusalem besieged by military encampments, then know that her devastation has approached.
- “Then let the men in Judea escape into the mountains, and let the men in her midst flee, and let the men in the countrysides not enter into her,
- “because these are days of avenging justice to fulfill all the things *written.
- “Woe to the women having a child in the womb and to the women nursing in those days, for there will be great calamity on the land and wrath on this people.
- “And they will fall by a sword’s edge, and will be taken captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the gentiles until that time when the seasons of the gentiles are fulfilled.
- “And there will be signs in the sun, and moon, and stars. And upon the earth, there will be anxious nations in confusion and the sound of the sea and surging waves,
- “men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things coming upon the whole inhabited world, for the heavenly powers will be shaken.
- “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and much glory.
- “And when these things begin to happen, look up and lift your heads because your redemption approaches.”
- And He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees.
- “When they have already sprouted leaves, you yourselves know from seeing this that summer is already near.
- “In this way also, know that the kingdom of God is near when you see these things happening.
- “Amen I tell you that this generation definitely won’t pass away until all these things happen.
- “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words definitely won’t pass away.
- “And be cautious for yourselves, lest when your hearts are burdened with hangovers, and drunkenness, and the anxieties in everyday life, and that day comes upon you unexpectedly like a snare.
- “For it will come upon all men sitting on the face of the land.
- “And keep watch in every season, praying so you might prevail to escape all these things about to happen, and to stand in the sight of the Son of Man.”
- And He was in the temple teaching during the day, and after going out at night, He was lodging on the mount called “of Olives”.
- And all the people were rising early to come to Him in the temple to hear Him.