Marcus: Chapter 13

[When] he enters the sanctum, one of his students says to him — Teacher, see, what stones, what buildings!

Yoshua says to him — See these great buildings? Here will be permitted no stone on [another] stone that is not destroyed.

Sitting on the Mountain of Olives, across [the valley] from the sanctum, Petros, Yaakov, Yohanan and Andreas ask him, by himself — Tell us, when will these [things] be, and what [will be] the sign when all these [things] are destined to be completed?

Yoshua says to them — Watch [out], so no one causes you to wander. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am [he],’ and will cause many to wander.

Whenever you hear wars, and the sound of wars, do not cry out; these [things] must come, but [it is] not yet the end. For nation will be roused against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes, region by region. There will be famines. These [things] are the beginning of the anguish of birth.

You yourselves watch [out]; you will be rendered by councils, and flogged by synagogues. You will stand before hegemons and kings because of me, in proof to them. But first [and foremost], the Welcome Message must be proclaimed among all the peoples. When they lead you away to rendition, do not plan what you will say, but whatever is given to you in that time, that you shall say, for it will not be you speaking, but [rather] the Sacred Æther.

Brother will render [up] brother unto death, and father [his] child, and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be killed. You will be hated by all, because of my name, but who[ever] remains to the end, they will be rescued.

But when you see the sacrilege of devastation performed where it must not be — let who knows understand — then those in Youdaia should flee to the mountains. [Any]one on the [roof of] a house should not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of their house. [Any]one in a field should not turn back to get their cloak.

Ah, for the pregnant and the nursing in that day! Pray that it will not happen in winter! For those days will be hardship as has not come since the beginning of the creation that God created, until now, and never will. Has the Master not curtailed the days, all nature would never be rescued. But because of the selected [ones], whom he selected, he has curtailed the days.

— And then, if anyone says to you, ‘See, the Chosen One, there,’ do not trust [them]. For pseudo-chosen ones, and pseudo-prophets will rise up, always promising signs and portents, to lead astray, if they are able, the selected [ones].

You, however, watch [out]: I have said all this in advance. In those days, after that hardship, the sun will be made dark, and the moon will not give her shining, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers that are in the skies will be shaken.

Then they will see the Human One coming in the clouds with much power and recognition. He will send his messengers and gather the selected [ones] from the four directions; from the depth of the earth to the height of the sky.

From the fig tree learn this analogy: when her branches bend and she sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. Thus also yourselves, when you see these [things] happening, know that it is near, by the door. Amen I say to you that this kindred will not pass away without all these [things] happening. The sky and the earth will pass away, but my Idea will indeed not pass away.

But about those days or hours no one knows, neither the Messengers in the sky nor the Son, except the Father. See that you keep awake, for you do not know when it is time, as [when] a person leaves home [to go] abroad, giving each of his slaves authorization for their work, ordering the guard to keep watch. So keep watch, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, whether late, or midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at morning, lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

What I tell you, I tell all: keep watch.

Chapter 14