Chapter LX

FEARFUL SIGNS AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION--PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the
stars shall fall from heaven, and upon the earth distress of
nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring:
men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after
those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of
heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they
shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a
great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the
earth to the uttermost part of heaven. And when these things
begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads;
for your redemption draweth nigh.

And he spake to them a parable;

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; behold the fig tree and
all the trees: when his branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye see and know of your own selves that summer
is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye when ye see these things
come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand,
_even_ at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation
shall not pass away, till all these things be fulfilled.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass
away.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this
life, and _so_ that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare
shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole
earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to
pass, and to stand before the Son of man. But of that day and
_that_ hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in
heaven, neither the Son, but my Father only. Take ye heed,
watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

But as the days of Noe _were_, so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood
they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and
knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be
in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two
_women shall be_ grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,
and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour
your Lord doth come.

_For the Son of man is_ as a man taking a far journey, who
left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to
every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch
ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house
cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in
the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in
what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and
would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore
be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son
of man cometh. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath
made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due
season? Blessed _is_ that servant, whom his lord when he
cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he
shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil
servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
and shall begin to smite _his_ fellow servants, and to eat and
drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in
a day when he looketh not for _him_, and in an hour that he is
not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint _him_ his
portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five _were_ 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.

While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose,
and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise,
Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise
answered, saying, _Not so_; lest there be not enough for us
and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;
and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and
the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins,
saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said,
Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch, therefore, for
ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh.