From the Holy Qur'an (Koran), Sura 4:153-158
The followers of the
Book ask you to bring down to them a book from heaven; so indeed they demanded
of Musa a greater thing than that, for they said Show us Allah manifestly; so
the lightning overtook them on account of their injustice. Then they took the
calf (for a god), after clear signs had come to them, but We pardoned this;
and We gave to Musa clear authority.
And We lifted the
mountain (Sainai) over them at (the taking of the covenant) and We said to
them Enter the door making obeisance; and We said to them Do not exceed the
limits of the Sabbath, and We made with them a firm covenant.
Therefore, for
their breaking their covenant and their disbelief in the communications of
Allah and their killing the prophets wrongfully and their saying Our hearts
are covered; nay! Allah set a seal upon them owing to their unbelief, so they
shall not believe except a few.
And for their
unbelief and for their having uttered against Marium a grievous calumny.
And their saying
Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the apostle of Allah;
and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so
(like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about
it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and
they killed him not for sure.
Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise.
(From The Holy Qur'an,
translated by M.H. Shakir and published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, Inc., in .)
Jesus went out from the
temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the
buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all of these
things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one
stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately,
saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming,
and of the end of the age?”
Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For
many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many
astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t
troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be
famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But all these
things are the beginning of birth pains. Then they will deliver you up
to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for
my name’s sake. Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another,
and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise, and will lead
many astray. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will
grow cold. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.
This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a
testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation,* which was spoken
of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader
understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his
house. Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, for
then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning
of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. Unless those days had been
shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen
ones, those days will be shortened.
“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’
don’t believe it. For there will arise false christs, and false
prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if
possible, even the chosen ones.
“Behold, I have told you beforehand. If therefore they tell you,
‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner
chambers,’ don’t believe it. For as the lightning flashes from the east,
and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together.
But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the
powers of the heavens will be shaken;* and then the sign of the Son of
Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and
they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and
great glory. He will send out his angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds,
from one end of the sky to the other.
“Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become
tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.
Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at
the doors. Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass
away, until all these things are accomplished. Heaven and earth will
pass away, but my words will not pass away. But no one knows of that day
and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
“As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered
into the ship, and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them
all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be
in the field one will be taken and one will be left; two women grinding
at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. Watch therefore,
for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if
the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was
coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be
broken into. Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t
expect, the Son of Man will come.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his
household, to give them their food in due season? Blessed is that
servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. Most certainly I
tell you that he will set him over all that he has. But if that evil
servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ and
begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,
the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in
an hour when he doesn’t know it, and will cut him in pieces, and appoint
his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of
teeth will be.
“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their
lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish,
and five were wise. Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps,
took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps. Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out
to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are
going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough
for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready
went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward
the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he
answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ Watch
therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is
coming.
“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own
servants, and entrusted his goods to them. To one he gave five talents,
to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he
went on his journey. Immediately he who received the five talents went
and traded with them, and made another five talents. In like manner he
also who got the two gained another two. But he who received the one
went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
“Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled
accounts with them. He who received the five talents came and brought
another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold,
I have gained another five talents besides them.’
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have
been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into
the joy of your lord.’
“He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me
two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have
been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into
the joy of your lord.’
“He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you
that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where
you did not scatter. I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in
the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
“But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew
that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. You
ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming
I should have received back my own with interest. Take away therefore
the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to
everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who
doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. Throw out the
unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the
nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on
his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will tell those
on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave
me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and
you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you
visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you
hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? When did we see
you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did
we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’
“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you
did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then
he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into
the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I
was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me
no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you
didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or
thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’
“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as
you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life.”
It happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his
disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the
Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
It happened, that when he finished
praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us
to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say,
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come.
May your will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
Bring us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Whenever you stand praying, forgive,
if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven,
may also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither
will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. It happened, while he blessed them, that he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven. They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
ALSO:
Acts 1:1-12
The first book I wrote, Theophilus,
concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in
which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy
Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To these he also showed himself
alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of
forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. Being assembled together with
them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the
promise of the Father, which you heard from me. For John indeed baptized in
water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now
restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father
has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a
cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly
into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,
who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?
This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the
same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near
Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
Bible translations on this page are from the World English Bible
© Near East Tourist Agency (NET)
Text © Stephen Langfur