The destruction of the temple and signs of the end times
1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2‘Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’
4Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no-one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Messiah,” and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth-pains.
9‘Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15‘So when you see standing in the holy place “the abomination that causes desolation,”24:15 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11 spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no-one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18Let no-one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equalled again.
22‘If those days had not been cut short, no-one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” or, “There he is!” do not believe it. 24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25See, I have told you in advance.
26‘So if anyone tells you, “There he is, out in the desert,” do not go out; or, “Here he is, in the inner rooms,” do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29‘Immediately after the distress of those days
‘ “the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”24:29 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
30‘Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth24:30 Or the tribes of the land will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.24:30 See Daniel 7:13-14. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32‘Now learn this lesson from the fig-tree: as soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it24:33 Or he is near, right at the door. 34Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The day and hour unknown
36‘But about that day or hour no-one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son. but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand-mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42‘Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45‘Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, “My master is staying away a long time,” 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Zizindikiro za Masiku Otsiriza
1Yesu anatuluka mʼNyumba ya Mulungu ndipo akuchoka ophunzira ake anadza kwa Iye ndi kumuonetsa mamangidwe a Nyumbayo. 2Iye anawafunsa kuti, “Kodi mukuona zinthu zonsezi? Zoonadi, Ine ndikuwuzani kuti palibe mwala pano umene udzasiyidwe pa unzake; uliwonse udzagwetsedwa pansi.”
3Pamene Yesu anakhala pansi pa phiri la Olivi, ophunzira ake anabwera kwa Iye mwamseri nati, “Tiwuzeni, kodi izi zidzachitika liti, ndipo chizindikiro cha kubwera kwanu ndi zizindikiro za kutha kwa dziko zidzakhala chiyani?”
4Yesu anayankha kuti, “Onetsetsani kuti wina asakunyengeni. 5Pakuti ambiri adzabwera mʼdzina langa nadzati, ‘Ndine Khristu,’ ndipo adzanyenga ambiri. 6Mudzamva za nkhondo ndi mbiri za nkhondo, koma onetsetsani kuti musadzidzimuke nazo. Zotere ziyenera kuchitika, koma chimaliziro sichinafike. 7Mtundu ndi mtundu udzawukirana, ndipo ufumu ndi ufumu udzawukirana. Kudzakhala njala ndi zivomerezi mʼmalo osiyanasiyana. 8Zonsezi ndi chiyambi chabe cha zowawa.
9“Pamenepo adzakuperekani kuti mukazunzidwe ndi kuphedwa, ndipo mitundu yonse idzakudani chifukwa cha Ine. 10Pa nthawi imeneyo ambiri adzasiya chikhulupiriro ndipo adzadana ndi kuperekana wina ndi mnzake, 11ndipo aneneri onama ambiri adzaoneka ndi kunyenga anthu ambiri. 12Chifukwa cha kuchuluka kwa zoyipa, chikondi cha ambiri chidzazirala, 13koma wopirira kufikira chimaliziro adzapulumuka. 14Ndipo uthenga wa ufumu udzalalikidwa ku dziko lonse lapansi ngati umboni kwa mitundu yonse, ndipo pomwepo chimaliziro chidzafika.”
15“Tsono mukadzaona chinthu chonyansa chosakaza chitayima pamalo oyera chimene anayankhula mneneri Danieli, owerengayo azindikire. 16Pamenepo amene ali ku Yudeya athawire ku mapiri. 17Yemwe ali pa denga la nyumba yake asatsike kukatulutsa chinthu chilichonse mʼnyumba. 18Yemwe ali ku munda asapite kukatenga mkanjo wake. 19Kudzakhala koopsa kwambiri masiku amenewo kwa amayi oyembekezera ndi kwa oyamwitsa! 20Pempherani kuti kuthawa kwanu kusadzachitike nthawi yozizira kapena pa Sabata. 21Popeza kudzakhala masautso aakulu, omwe safanana ndi ena ali onse chiyambireni cha dziko lapansi mpaka lero lino ndipo sadzafanananso ndi ena. 22Ngati masiku amenewo sakanafupikitsidwa, palibe mmodzi akanapulumuka, koma chifukwa cha osankhidwawo masiku amenewo adzafupikitsidwa. 23Pa nthawi imeneyo ngati wina adzati kwa inu, ‘Onani, Khristu ali pano!’ Kapena, ‘Uyo ali ukoyo!’ Musakhulupirire. 24Chifukwa akhristu onama ndi aneneri onama adzaoneka ndipo adzachita zizindikiro zazikulu ndi zodabwitsa kuti akanyenge ngakhale osankhidwawo ngati kukanakhala kotheka kutero. 25Onani, ndakuwuzani izi nthawi isanafike.
26“Ndiye ngati wina akuwuzani inu kuti, ‘Uyo ali ku chipululu,’ inu musapiteko; kapena akati, ‘Uyu ali kuno mʼchipinda chamʼkati,’ musakhulupirire. 27Monga momwe mphenzi ingʼanima kuchokera kummawa kupita kumadzulo, momwemonso kudzakhala kubwera kwa Mwana wa Munthu. 28Kulikonse kuli chinthu cha kufa, makwangwala adzasonkhanako.
29“Akadzangotha mavuto a masiku amenewo,
“ ‘dzuwa lidzadetsedwa,
ndipo mwezi sudzawala;
nyenyezi zidzagwa kuchokera kumwamba,
ndipo mphamvu za mmwamba zidzagwedezeka.’
30“Pa nthawi imeneyo chizindikiro cha Mwana wa Munthu chidzaoneka mlengalenga, ndipo mitundu yonse ya pa dziko lapansi idzalira. Idzaona Mwana wa Munthu akubwera ndi mitambo, mphamvu ndi ulemerero waukulu. 31Ndipo adzatuma angelo ake, ndi kulira kwa lipenga kwakukulu, nadzasonkhanitsa osankhidwa ake kuchokera ku mphepo zinayi, ndi kuchokera kumathero a thambo kufika mbali ina.
32“Tsopano kuchokera ku mtengo wamkuyu phunzirani ichi: Pamene uyamba kuphukira, masamba ake akatuluka, mumadziwa kuti dzinja layandikira. 33Momwemonso, pamene mudzaona zinthu zonsezi mudzadziwe kuti ali pafupi pa khomo penipeni. 34Zoonadi, ndikuwuzani kuti mʼbado uwu sudzatha mpaka zinthu zonse zitachitika. 35Kumwamba ndi dziko lapansi zidzatha, koma mawu anga sadzatha.”
Tsiku ndi Nthawi Sizidziwika
36“Palibe amene adziwa za tsikulo kapena nthawi, angakhale angelo akumwamba, angakhale Mwana, koma Atate okha. 37Monga momwe zinalili nthawi ya Nowa, momwemonso zidzatero pobwera kwa Mwana wa Munthu. 38Pakuti masiku amenewo chisanafike chigumula, anthu amadya ndi kumwa, kukwatira ndi kukwatiwa, mpaka tsiku limene Nowa analowa mʼchombo; 39ndipo sanadziwe za chimene chikanachitika mpaka pamene chigumula chinafika ndi kuwamiza onse. Umu ndi mmene zidzakhalira pobwera kwa Mwana wa Munthu. 40Amuna awiri adzakhala mʼmunda; wina adzatengedwa ndi wina adzatsala. 41Amayi awiri adzakhala akusinja pa mtondo; wina adzatengedwa ndi wina adzatsala.
42“Chifukwa chake yangʼanirani, popeza simudziwa tsiku lanji limene Ambuye anu adzabwera. 43Koma zindikirani ichi: Ngati mwini nyumba akanadziwa nthawi yanji ya usiku imene mbala imabwera, sakanagona ndipo sakanalola kuti nyumba yake ithyoledwe. 44Inunso tsono muyenera kukhala okonzeka, chifukwa Mwana wa Munthu adzabwera pa nthawi imene inu simukumuyembekezera.
Wantchito Wokhulupirika ndi Wosakhulupirika
45“Kodi wantchito wokhulupirika ndi wanzeru amene ambuye ake anamuyika kukhala woyangʼanira antchito a mʼnyumba kuti awapatse chakudya chawo pa nthawi yake ndani? 46Chidzakhala chabwino kwa wantchitoyo ngati mbuye wake pofika adzamupeza akuchita zimenezi. 47Zoonadi, ndikuwuzani kuti adzamuyika kukhala woyangʼanira katundu wake yense. 48Koma tiyerekeze kuti wantchitoyo ndi woyipa, nati kwa iye yekha, ‘Mbuye wanga akuchedwa kubwera,’ 49nayamba kumenya antchito anzake, nadya ndi kumwa ndi zidakwa. 50Mbuye wa wantchitoyo adzabwera pa tsiku limene iye samamuyembekezera ndi pa nthawi imene iye sakuyidziwa. 51Adzamulanga koopsa ndipo adzamuyika kokhala anthu achiphamaso, kumene kudzakhala kulira ndi kukukuta mano.”
