6. You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come.
7. Countries will fight each other, kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere.
8. All these things are like the first pains of childbirth.
9. “Then you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and be put to death. All nations will hate you because of me.
10. Many will give up their faith at that time; they will betray one another and hate one another.
11. Then many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
12. Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold.
13. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.
14. And this Good News about the Kingdom will be preached through all the world for a witness to all nations; and then the end will come.
15. “You will see ‘The Awful Horror’ of which the prophet Daniel spoke. It will be standing in the holy place.” (Note to the reader: be sure to understand what this means!)
16. “Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills.
17. Someone who is on the roof of his house must not take the time to go down and get his belongings from the house.
18. Someone who is in the field must not go back to get his cloak.
19. How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies!
20. Pray to God that you will not have to run away during the winter or on a Sabbath!
21. For the trouble at that time will be far more terrible than any there has ever been, from the beginning of the world to this very day. Nor will there ever be anything like it again.
22. But God has already reduced the number of days; had he not done so, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, God will reduce the days.
23. “Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ — do not believe it.