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النشر الإلكتروني

17 Let him who is on the house top not come

down to take any thing out of his house : 18 Neither let him who is in the field retura 19 back to take his clothes. And wo unto them

that are with child, and to them that give suck 20 in those days. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath21 day. For then shall be great tribulation, such

as was not since the beginning of the world to 22 this time, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake, 23 those days shall be shortened. Then if any

man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or 24 there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very 25 elect. Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold

he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so also shall 28 be the coming of the Son of man. For whereever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall 30 be shaken.* And then shall appear the sign of

*This and the following verses refer to the divine judgments in the destruction of Jerusalem.

the Son of man in heaven; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of man, coming in the clouds of 31 heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a truumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of 32 heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer 33 is nigh; so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the 34 doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation

shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.* 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

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But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father 37 only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall 38 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 Noah entered 39 into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the 40 coming of the Son of man be. Then shall

two be in the field; the one shall be taken, 41 and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

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Watch therefore: for ye know not what

* This shews that these predictions refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish religion.

ST. MATTHEW.

43 hour your Lord doth come. 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 44 house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also

ready for in such an hour as ye think not, the 45 Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in 46 due season? Blessed is that servant, whom

his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him 48 ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil

servant shall say in his heart, My lord delay49 eth his coming; and shall begin to smite his

fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the 50 drunken; the lord of that servant shall come

in a day when he looketh not for him, and in 51 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.

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CHAP. XXV.

THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

*In the day of judgment at the end of the world this would not be the case; yet some of these descriptions have reference to, or will well apply to the coming of Christ at the last judgment.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were 3 foolish. They that were foolish took their 4 lamps, and took no oil, with them: But the

wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slum6 bered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him. Then all those vir8 gins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your 9 oil; for our lamps are gone out.

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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. 10 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. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 12 Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered

and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you 13 not.* Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his 15 goods † And unto one he gave five talents,

The parables in this chapter are very instruetive and impressive, and show the necessity of faithfully improving our opportunities and talents to meet the approbation of our Judge.

†The words in italies are supplied by our translators. It would be better, perhaps, to say, he, referring to Christ, spoken of in the preceding verse.

to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and 16 straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also 18 gained the other two. But he that had re

ceived one, went and digged in the earth, and 19 hid his lord's money. After a long time the

Lord of all those servants cometh, and reckon20 eth with them. And so he that had received five talents came, and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained besides 21 them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou 22 into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he who had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping, where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not 25 strawed: And I was afraid, and went and

hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast 26 that is thine. His lord answered and said unto

him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou

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