Part 9

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, but ye have ignored the weightier matters of the law; judgment, mercy, and faith. Ye blind guides who strain from your drink a gnat and swallow a camel.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye make the outside of the cup and platter clean, but inside they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee. Cleanse first that which is inside the cup and platter so the outside may be clean also.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and uncleanness. Even if ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, inside ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! Ye build the tombs for the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous. Ye say, If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Be witnesses unto yourselves. Ye are the children of those who killed the prophets and ye measure up to your fathers.

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? I send prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them ye shall kill and crucify. Some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city. On your hands shall be the blood of all the righteous shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. All these things shall come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killed the prophets, and stoned those sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not have it! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Ye shall not see me again until ye shall say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

24 Jesus went outside and His disciples came to show Him the buildings of the temple. Jesus said, Take note of all these things. There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. On the mount of Olives, the disciples said, Tell us, when will these things happen? What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?

Jesus answered, Take heed that no man deceive you. Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ and they shall deceive many. Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye are not troubled. All these things must come to pass but the end is not come yet. Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows. They will deliver you up to be afflicted. They shall kill you. Ye shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Many will be offended and will betray and hate one another. False prophets shall arise and deceive. And, because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold. But those who endure unto the end shall be saved.

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached all around the world as a witness to all nations. Then the end shall come. When ye see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet, Daniel, stand in the holy place; understand the prophecy.

Let those who are in Judaea flee into the mountains. Let him stay who is on the housetop and not come down to take anything out of his house. Neither let he who is in the field return to get his clothing. Woe unto the women who are with child.

Pray that your flight be not in the winter or on the sabbath day. There shall be great tribulation, such as was not seen from the beginning of the world until now and will never be seen again. Unless those days are numbered, no flesh shall be saved. But, for the elect's sake, those days shall be numbered.

Thus, if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there He is; believe it not. There shall arise false Christs and false prophets. They will show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it be possible, they will deceive the very elect.

Behold, I tell you all this beforehand. So, if they say to you, Behold, He is in the desert, do not go forth. Or, behold, He is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For, just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over unto the west, so also shall be the coming of the Son of man.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened. The moon will not reflect light. The stars will fall from heaven. The powers of the heavens shall be shaken. All the people of the earth shall mourn.

Then the sign of the Son of man will appear. They shall see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. His angels will gather together His elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other.

Now learn a parable about the fig tree. When its branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is near. So, likewise, when ye see all these things, know what is near.

This generation shall not pass away until all these things are fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But, of the day and the hour no man knows, no, not the angels of heaven, but only my Father.

The coming of the Son of man shall be like in the days of Noah. Before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. They knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also be the coming of the Son of man.

At that time, two shall be in the field. One shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One shall be taken and the other left. Watch, for ye know not what hour your Lord comes.

Know this, If the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have guarded and would not have suffered his house to be broken into. Therefore, be ready. At an hour that ye think the Son of man will not come, then He will come.

It is a faithful and wise servant who, his lord having given him charge over the household, prepares the foods in due season. Blessed is that servant who, when his lord arrives, shall find him doing so. He shall make the servant ruler over all his goods.

It is an evil servant who says, My lord delays his coming so I shall take advantage. He smites his fellowservants and eats and drinks until drunken. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when the servant does not expect him. At a time when the servant is unaware, he shall be cut asunder and thrown out with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

25 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise. Five were foolish. The foolish took their lamps but no extra oil with them. The wise took oil in their vessels along with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered. At midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet Him.

All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, No, there will be not enough for us and you. Go to them that sell oil and buy some.

While they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Much later, the other virgins arrived and called, Lord, Lord, open the door to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I do not know you. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who travels into a far country. Before he leaves he calls his servants and turns his goods over to them. To one he gives five talents. To another he gives two talents. To another he gives one. He gives to every man according to his ability.

The servant who received the five talents traded and made another five talents. He who received two, gained another two. But the servant that received one, dug a hole in the earth and hid his lord's money.