World English Bible · Under Rome
Mark 13
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As he went out of , one of his said to him, "Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind of buildings!" said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone on another, which will not be thrown down." As he sat on opposite , , , , and asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are all about to be fulfilled?" , answering, began to tell them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and will lead many astray. "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don't be troubled. For those must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains. "But watch yourselves, for they will you up to councils. You will be beaten in . You will stand before and kings for my sake, for a to them. The must first be preached to all the nations. When they lead you away and you up, don't be anxious beforehand or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but . "Brother will up brother to , and his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to . You will be hated by all men for my name's sake, but he who endures to the end will be . "But when you see the of desolation, spoken of by the , standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in flee to the mountains, and let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house. 16Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days! 18 that your flight won't be in the winter. For in those days there will be , such as there has not been the like of the creation which created until now, and never will be. Unless had shortened the days, no would have been ; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days. Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is !' or, 'Look, there!' don't it. For false christs and false will arise and will show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. But you watch. "Behold, I have told you all things beforehand. But in those days, after that , the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its , the stars will be falling from , and the powers that are in will be shaken. Then they will see coming in clouds with great and . Then he will send out his , and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of . "Now from the fig tree, learn this . When the branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near; even so you also, when you see these things coming to pass, know that it is near, at the doors. Most certainly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the in , nor the Son, but only . Watch, keep alert, and ; for you don't know when the time is. "It is like a man traveling to another country, having left his house and to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. Watch therefore, for you don't know when of the house is coming—whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning; lest, coming suddenly, he might find you sleeping. What I tell you, I tell all: Watch!"
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.