Bible / Matthew
Matthew 24
Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision (1749–1752), the traditional Catholic English Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate. If you read a modern Bible, this is the same Scripture in older English; some names are spelled differently (Cesarea for Caesarea, Apocalypse for Revelation). About this translation
1 And Jesus being come out of the temple, went away. And his disciples came to shew him the buildings of the temple. CCC
2 And he answering, said to them: Do you see all these things? Amen I say to you, there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed. CCC
3 And when he was sitting on mount Olivet, the disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the consummation of the world? CCC
4 And Jesus answering, said to them: Take heed that no man seduce you.
5 For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ. And they will seduce many.
6 And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass: but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And there shall be pestilences and famines and earthquakes in places.
8 Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be scandalized and shall betray one another and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise and shall seduce many. Fathers
12 And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold. CCC
13 But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations: and then shall the consummation come.
15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand. Fathers
16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains:
17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.
19 And woe to them that are with child and that give suck in those days.
20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter or on the sabbath.
21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. Fathers
22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if any man shall say to you, Lo here is Christ, or there: do not believe him.
24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.
25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.
26 If therefore they shall say to you, Behold he is in the desert: go ye not out. Behold he is in the closets: believe it not.
27 For as lightning cometh out of the east and appeareth even into the west: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. Fathers
29 And 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 heaven shall be moved.
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty.
31 And he shall send his angels with a trumpet and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. CCC
32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.
33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.
34 Amen I say to you that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass: but my words shall not pass.
36 But of that day and hour no one knoweth: no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone. CCC
37 And as in the days of Noe, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For, as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even till that day in which Noe entered into the ark:
39 And they knew not till the flood came and took them all away: so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then two shall be in the field. One shall be taken and one shall be left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill. One shall be taken and one shall be left.
42 Watch ye therefore, because you know not what hour your Lord will come. Fathers
43 But this know ye, that, if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open.
44 Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come. CCC
45 Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing.
47 Amen I say to you: he shall place him over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming: Fathers
49 And shall begin to strike his fellow servants and shall eat and drink with drunkards: Fathers
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopeth not and at an hour that he knoweth not: Fathers
51 And shall separate him and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Fathers
This chapter in the Catechism and the early Church
Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va), and where the earliest Church Fathers quote them (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, public domain). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text.
Read the Catechism
- CCC 585 “On the threshold of his Passion Jesus announced the coming destruction of this splendid building, of which there would not remain "one…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 585 “On the threshold of his Passion Jesus announced the coming destruction of this splendid building, of which there would not remain "one…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 585 “On the threshold of his Passion Jesus announced the coming destruction of this splendid building, of which there would not remain "one…”
Read the Fathers
“… " And, There shall be schisms and heresies.' And, Beware of false prophets, who shall come to you clothed outwardly in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.' And, Many false Christs and false apostles shall arise, and shall deceive many of the faithful.”
Quoted in Dialogue with Trypho, St. Justin Martyr (c. AD 160), Chapter XXXV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism
- CCC 675 “Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution…”
Read the Fathers
“… the mountains; and he who is upon the house-top, let him not come down to take anything out of his house: for there shall then be great hardship, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“For if what Daniel prophesied concerning the end has been confirmed by the Lord, when He said, "When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, which has been spoken of by Daniel the prophet”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Fathers
“… of the whole earth against the Church; and partly the fact that, when He comes from heaven with His mighty angels, the whole earth shall be shaken, as He Himself declares, "There shall be a great earthquake, such as has not been from the beginning.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXIII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“… the mountains; and he who is upon the house-top, let him not come down to take anything out of his house: for there shall then be great hardship, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, "There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXIX. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Fathers
“… My daughters from the ends of the earth; all, as many as have been called in My name: for in My glory I have prepared, and formed, and made him." Inasmuch as then, "wheresoever the carcase is, there shall also the eagles be gathered together,”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XIV. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism
- CCC 333 “From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When…”
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- CCC 443 “Peter could recognize the transcendent character of the Messiah's divine sonship because Jesus had clearly allowed it to be so understood. To…”
Read the Fathers
“… until the time that Lot went out of Sodom; it rained fire from heaven, and destroyed them all: so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of man." "Watch ye therefore, for ye know not in what day your Lord shall come.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“For when men sleep, the enemy sows the material of tares; and for this cause did the Lord command His disciples to be on the watch.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book V, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter X. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism
- CCC 673 “Since the Ascension Christ's coming in glory has been imminent, even though "it is not for you to know times or seasons…”
Read the Fathers
“… eat and drink and be drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day that 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 unbelievers.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
“… The Lord delayeth, and begin to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat, and drink, and to be drunken, his Lord will come in a day on which he does not expect Him, and shall cut him in sunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Fathers
“… The Lord delayeth, and begin to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat, and drink, and to be drunken, his Lord will come in a day on which he does not expect Him, and shall cut him in sunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Fathers
“… The Lord delayeth, and begin to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat, and drink, and to be drunken, his Lord will come in a day on which he does not expect Him, and shall cut him in sunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Fathers
“… The Lord delayeth, and begin to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat, and drink, and to be drunken, his Lord will come in a day on which he does not expect Him, and shall cut him in sunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites.”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book IV, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XXXVII. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
A modern English Catholic translation will be added once its publisher grants permission.