Matthew 24 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

(Mar 13:1, 2; Luk 21:5, 6 )

Mat 24:1Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

Mat 24:2

Mat 24:2But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

(Mar 13:3–13; Luk 21:7–19 )

Mat 24:3

Mat 24:3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Mat 24:4

Mat 24:4And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.

Mat 24:5

Mat 24:5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

Mat 24:6

Mat 24:6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

Mat 24:7

Mat 24:7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Mat 24:8

Mat 24:8All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Mat 24:9

Mat 24:9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.

Mat 24:10

Mat 24:10And then many will fall away[fn] and betray one another and hate one another.

Mat 24:11

Mat 24:11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Mat 24:12

Mat 24:12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Mat 24:13

Mat 24:13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Mat 24:14

Mat 24:14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

(Mar 13:14–23; Luk 17:23, 24, 37; 21:20–24 )

Mat 24:15

Mat 24:15“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

Mat 24:16

Mat 24:16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Mat 24:17

Mat 24:17Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,

Mat 24:18

Mat 24:18and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.

Mat 24:19

Mat 24:19And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!

Mat 24:20

Mat 24:20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.

Mat 24:21

Mat 24:21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

Mat 24:22

Mat 24:22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Mat 24:23

Mat 24:23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

Mat 24:24

Mat 24:24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Mat 24:25

Mat 24:25See, I have told you beforehand.

Mat 24:26

Mat 24:26So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

Mat 24:27

Mat 24:27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:28

Mat 24:28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

(Mar 13:24–27; Luk 21:25–28 )

Mat 24:29

Mat 24:29“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Mat 24:30

Mat 24:30Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mat 24:31

Mat 24:31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

(Mar 13:28–31; Luk 21:29–33 )

Mat 24:32

Mat 24:32“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

Mat 24:33

Mat 24:33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

Mat 24:34

Mat 24:34Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Mat 24:35

Mat 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

(Mar 13:32–37; Luk 17:26, 27, 34, 35; 21:34–36 )

Mat 24:36

Mat 24:36“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[fn] but the Father only.

Mat 24:37

Mat 24:37For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:38

Mat 24:38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

Mat 24:39

Mat 24:39and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:40

Mat 24:40Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.

Mat 24:41

Mat 24:41Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

Mat 24:42

Mat 24:42Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Mat 24:43

Mat 24:43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

Mat 24:44

Mat 24:44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

(Luk 12:41–48 )

Mat 24:45

Mat 24:45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant,[fn] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

Mat 24:46

Mat 24:46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Mat 24:47

Mat 24:47Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

Mat 24:48

Mat 24:48But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’

Mat 24:49

Mat 24:49and begins to beat his fellow servants[fn] and eats and drinks with drunkards,

Mat 24:50

Mat 24:50the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know

Mat 24:51

Mat 24:51and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

(24:10)

Or stumble

(24:36)

Some manuscripts omit nor the Son

(24:45)

Or bondservant; also verses 46, 48, 50

(24:49)

Or bondservants

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.