Luke 21
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
21 Looking up, [Jesus] saw the rich people putting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And He saw also a poor widow putting in two mites (copper coins).
3 And He said, Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;
4 For they all gave out of their abundance (their surplus); but she has contributed out of her lack and her want, putting in all that she had on which to live.
5 And as some were saying of the temple that it was decorated with handsome (shapely and magnificent) stones and consecrated offerings [[a]laid up to be kept], He said,
6 As for all this that you [thoughtfully] look at, the time will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.
7 And they asked Him, Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when this is about to occur?
8 And He said, Be on your guard and be careful that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name [[b]appropriating to themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me], saying, I am He! and, The time is at hand! Do not go out after them.
9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections (disturbances, disorder, and confusion), do not become alarmed and panic-stricken and terrified; for all this must take place first, but the end will not [come] immediately.
10 Then He told them, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.(A)
11 There will be mighty and violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences (plagues: [c]malignant and contagious or infectious epidemic diseases which are deadly and devastating); and there will be sights of terror and great signs from heaven.
12 But previous to all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be led away before kings and governors for My name’s sake.
13 This will be a time (an opportunity) for you to bear testimony.
14 Resolve and settle it in your minds not to meditate and prepare beforehand how you are to make your defense and how you will answer.
15 For I [Myself] will give you a mouth and such utterance and wisdom that all of your foes combined will be unable to stand against or refute.
16 You will be delivered up and betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and [some] of you they will put to death.
17 And you will be hated (despised) by everyone because [you bear] My name and for its sake.
18 But not a hair of your head shall perish.(B)
19 By your steadfastness and patient endurance you [d]shall win the [e]true life of your souls.
20 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know and understand that its desolation has come near.
21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside [the city] get out of it, and let not those who are out in the country come into it;
22 For those are days of vengeance [of rendering full justice or satisfaction], that all things that are written may be fulfilled.
23 Alas for those who are pregnant and for those who have babies which they are nursing in those days! For great misery and anguish and distress shall be upon the land and indignation and punishment and retribution upon this people.
24 They will fall by [f]the mouth and the edge of the sword and will be led away as captives to and among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed).(C)
25 And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth [there will be] distress (trouble and anguish) of nations in bewilderment and perplexity [[g]without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn] at the roaring ([h]the echo) of the tossing of the sea,(D)
26 Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken and [i]caused to totter.
27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great (transcendent and overwhelming) power and [all His kingly] glory (majesty and splendor).(E)
28 Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.
29 And He told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees;
30 When they put forth their buds and come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and perceive and know that summer is already near.
31 Even so, when you see these things taking place, understand and know that the kingdom of God is at hand.
32 Truly I tell you, this generation ([j]those living at that definite period of time) will not perish and pass away until all has taken place.
33 The [k]sky and the earth ([l]the universe, the world) will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
34 But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the [m]giddiness and headache and [n]nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the [o]business of] this life, and [lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose;
35 For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth.
36 Keep awake then and watch at all times [be discreet, attentive, and ready], praying that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things [taken together] that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.
37 Now in the daytime Jesus was teaching in [[p]the porches and courts of] the temple, but at night He would go out and stay on the mount called Olivet.
38 And early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple [[q]porches or courts] to listen to Him.
Footnotes
- Luke 21:5 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 21:8 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 21:11 Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this phrase as a definition of “plague” and “pestilence.”
- Luke 21:19 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Luke 21:19 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 21:24 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
- Luke 21:25 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 21:25 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Luke 21:26 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 21:32 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Luke 21:33 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary.
- Luke 21:33 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 21:34 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 21:34 G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon.
- Luke 21:34 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
- Luke 21:37 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
- Luke 21:38 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
Luke 21
New Matthew Bible
Christ commends the poor widow. He tells of the destruction of Jerusalem, of false teachers, of the signs and troubles to come, of the end of the world, and of his own coming.
21 As he looked on, he saw the rich, how they cast their offerings into the treasury. 2 And he saw also a certain poor widow who cast in two small coins, 3 and he said, Of a truth I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all have added to the offering to God out of their surplus, but she, of her penury, has cast in all the substance that she had.
5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and jewels, Jesus said, 6 The days will come when of these things that you see, there will not be left stone upon stone that shall not be thrown down. 7 And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when will these things be? And what sign will there be when such things are about to happen?
8 And he said, Take heed that you be not deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, I am he. And the time draws near. You must not follow them therefore. 9 But when you hear of war and dissension, do not be afraid. For these things must come first. But the end will not follow immediately.
10 Then he said to them, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 And great earthquakes will be in all quarters, and hunger and pestilence, and fearful things. And there will be great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prison, and will bring you before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. 13 And this will happen to you for a testimony.
14 Let it therefore stick fast in your hearts not once to concern yourselves beforehand what to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom against which none of your adversaries will be able to speak or resist.
16 Yea and you will be betrayed by your fathers and mothers, and by your brethren and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 And you will be hated by all men for my name’s sake. 18 Yet not one hair of your heads shall perish. 19 With your patience possess your souls.
20 And when you see Jerusalem besieged with a host, then understand that its desolation is near. 21 Then let the people who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the city get out. And let not those who are in other countries enter in. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfil all the things that are written. 23 But woe will be to women who are with child and to those who give suck in those days, for there will be great trouble in the land, and wrath over all this people. 24 And they will fall on the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden under foot by the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
25 And there will be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars, and in the earth the people will be in such perplexity that they will not know which way to turn. The sea and the waters will roar, 26 and men’s hearts will fail them for fear, and for the dread of those things which shall come on the earth. For the powers of heaven shall move. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man come in a cloud, with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near.
29 And he told them a similitude: Consider the fig tree, and all other trees. 30 When they shoot forth their buds, you see and can tell for your own selves that summer is then nigh at hand. 31 So likewise, when you see these things come to pass, understand that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I say to you, this generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.
34 Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overcome with excess of eating, and drunkenness, and worldly cares, and that day come on you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come upon all who sit on the face of the earth. 36 Watch therefore continually, and pray that you may obtain grace to escape all this that is to come, and that you may stand before the Son of man.
37 In the daytime he taught in the temple, and at night he went out and stayed on the Mount of Olives. 38 And all the people came to him in the morning in the temple, to hear him.
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Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.