therefore, they say to you: Behold he is in the desert, go not forth; behold he is in the inner chambers, do not believe 27 [it]. For as the lightning goeth forth from the east and shines to the west, so shall be the coming of the Son of man 28 also. For wherever the carcase is there 29 will be gathered the eagles. Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the 30 heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the land lament, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from [the one] extremity of [the] heavens to [the other] extremity of them. But learn from the fig-tree its parable: When already its branch becomes tender and produces leaves, ye know that the 82 33 summer is near. Thus also ye, when ye see all these things, know that it is 34 near at the doors. Verily, I say to you: This generation will not have passed away until all these things shall have 35 taken place. The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words do not at 36 all* pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of the heavens, but my Father alone. 87 But as the days of Noah so also shall be 88 the coming of the Son of man. For as they were in the days which [were] before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day on which Noah entered into the ark, 89 and knew not till the flood came and took them all away; thus also shall be 40 the coming of the Son of man. Then two shall be in the field, one is taken and one is left; two women grinding at the mill, one is taken and one is left. 42 Watch, therefore, for ye know not in 43 what hour your Lord comes. But know 41 this, that if the master of the house had * Ou un, stronger than 'not.' * known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be dug 44 through into. Wherefore ye also, be ye ready, for in such an hour as ye 45 think not the Son of man comes. Who then is that faithful and prudent bondsman whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in season? 46 Blessed is that bondsman whom his lord 47 on coming shall find doing thus. Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over 48 all his substance. But if that evil servant should say in his heart: My lord 49 delays to come, and begin to beat his fellow-bondsmen, and† eat and drink with 50 the drunken, the lord of that bondsman shall come in a day when he does not expect him, and in an hour he knows not [of], and shall cut him in two and appoint his portion with the hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 *Literally, 'is coming.' †T. R. and to eat, and leaves out 'his' after 'beat." Somewhat emphatic, through the article, 3 * XXV. Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be made like to ten virgins who* having taken their lamps, went forth to 2 meet the bridegroom. And five of them were prudent and five foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and ✦ took no oil with them;† but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But the bridegroom tarrying, they all grew heavy and slept. But in the middle of the night there was a cry: Behold the bridegroom is coming; go 7 forth to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the prudent give us of your oil, for our lamps are going 9 out. But the prudent answered: [We cannot] lest it might not suffice for us and for you. Go rather to those that 10 sell and buy for yourselves. But as they went away to buy the bridegroom came, and the ones [that were] ready went in which is not otherwise needed: ὁ κλαυθμος και ὁ βρυγμος. * AiTies, who were such as. with him to the marriage, and the door was 11 shut. Afterwards came also the rest of the virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to 12 us; but he answering said: Verily I say 13 unto you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for ye do not know the day 14 nor the hour.* For [it is] as [if] a man going out of the country called his own bondsmen and delivered to them his sub15 stance. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his particular ability, and immediately went away out of the country. 16 And he that had received five talents, went and trafficked with them, and made five 17 other talents. In like manner also he that [had received] the two, he also gained 18 two others. But he that had received the one, went and dug in the earth and 19 hid the money of his lord. And after-a long time the lord of those bondsmen 20 comes and reckons with them. And he that had received the five talents came to [him] and brought five other talents, saying: [My] lord, thou deliveredst me *T. R. adds, in which the Son of man comes.' |