Luke 21
The full text of Luke 21 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.
2 And he saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.
3 He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.
4 For all these people gave their gifts out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
5 While some were speaking about the temple — how it was adorned with beautiful stones and dedicated gifts — he said,
6 "As for these things you are looking at, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another that will not be thrown down."
7 They asked him, "Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that these things are about to take place?"
8 He said, "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.
9 When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified. For these things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
10 Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 There will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 But before all these things, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.
13 This will result in your opportunity to testify.
14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense beforehand,
15 for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
17 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name.
18 But not a hair of your head will perish.
19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.
20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.
21 Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains, let those inside the city get out, and let those in the countryside not enter it.
22 For these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that has been written.
23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.
24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 "And there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
26 People will faint from fear and from dread of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
29 And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.
31 So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 "Be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day close on you suddenly like a trap.
35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Stay alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."
37 Each day he was teaching in the temple, and each evening he would go out and spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives.
38 And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to him in the temple to listen to him.
Translation notes (19)
- Luke 21:2a The Greek phrase lepta dyo means 'two lepta,' referring to the smallest coins in circulation, each worth 1/128 of a denarius.
- Luke 21:4a The Greek phrase ton bion means 'her livelihood' or 'her life,' indicating not just savings but her entire means of sustaining life.
- Luke 21:5a The Greek word anathēmasin refers to 'votive offerings,' which were dedicated gifts hung on temple walls (compare Josephus, War 5.5.4).
- Luke 21:13a The Greek phrase apobēsetai hymin eis martyrion means 'will turn out for you into testimony,' indicating that persecution becomes an opportunity for witness.
- Luke 21:14a The Greek phrase thete...en tais kardiais hymōn literally means 'place in your hearts,' which is a Hebraic idiom for firm resolve.
- Luke 21:18a The tension with verse 16, where some are put to death, is intentional: physical death does not constitute ultimate destruction.
- Luke 21:19a The Greek phrase ktēsasthe tas psychas hymōn is found as a future indicative verb in some manuscripts, meaning it is a promise, but as an aorist imperative verb in others, meaning it is a command. This creates an ambiguity as to whether it is a promise or a command.
- Luke 21:20a Luke replaces Mark's 'abomination of desolation' (Mk 13:14) with this specific reference to armies — making the historical referent clearer.
- Luke 21:22a Gk. hēmerai ekdikēseōs, days of vengeance — echoes Hos 9:7, Deut 32:35. Divine judgment enacted through historical events.
- Luke 21:23a The Greek phrase orgē tō laō toutō means 'wrath to this people.' Luke specifies that the wrath is directed at 'this people,' meaning Israel, rather than being cosmic in scope.
- Luke 21:24a The Greek phrase kairoi ethnōn means 'times of the Gentiles,' referring to a period of Gentile dominion over Jerusalem. Its endpoint is debated, whether it refers to the end times or a historical event.
- Luke 21:25a Echoes Joel 2:30-31, Isa 13:10. Whether literal cosmic events or figurative for political upheaval is debated.
- Luke 21:27a Alludes to Dan 7:13-14. en nephelē = in a cloud (singular in Luke; Mark has 'in clouds')
- Luke 21:28a The Greek word apolytrōsis means 'redemption' or 'liberation,' and can refer to both spiritual salvation and physical deliverance.
- Luke 21:31a Luke uses the phrase 'kingdom of God' where Mark 13:29 has the ambiguous phrase 'it is near' or 'he is near,' thereby clarifying the referent.
- Luke 21:32a The Greek phrase hē genea hautē means 'this generation.' Its meaning is debated, referring variously to (1) Jesus' contemporaries, (2) the Jewish people, (3) the generation that sees these signs, or (4) humanity in general.
- Luke 21:34a The Greek word kraipale means 'carousing' or 'hangover,' referring to the after-effects of excessive drinking. This word appears only once in the New Testament.
- Luke 21:35a Some manuscripts read this as part of verse 34, forming a continuous sentence. The scope, which includes all inhabitants of earth, emphasizes its universality.
- Luke 21:36a There is a textual variant here: some manuscripts read kataxiōthēte, meaning 'be counted worthy,' instead of katischysēte, meaning 'have strength.' The critical Greek text prefers the latter.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is a new translation of the Bible prepared by Trinity Bible AI — rendered from the original Greek and faithful to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Finished in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation you can read today, and it is available only through Trinity Bible. All 66 books, including Luke, are free to read on this site.
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