Matthew 24:36-51

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36 "But concerning that day and hour 1no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, 2nor the Son,[a]3but the Father only.
37 4For as were the days of Noah, 5so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 6For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, 7marrying and giving in marriage, until 8the day when Noah entered the ark,
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, 9so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.
41 10Two women will be grinding 11at the mill; one will be taken and one left.
42 Therefore, 12stay awake, for you do not know on what day 13your Lord is coming.
43 14But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night 15the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be 16ready, for 17the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
45 "Who then is 18the faithful and 19wise servant,[b] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
46 20Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
47 Truly, I say to you, 21he will set him over all his possessions.
48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master 22is delayed,'
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants[c] and eats and drinks with 23drunkards,
50 the master of that servant will come 24on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know
51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place 25there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Cross References 25

  • 1. Matthew 25:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2
  • 2. [Philippians 2:6, 7]
  • 3. [Zechariah 14:7; Acts 1:7]
  • 4. Luke 17:26, 27
  • 5. ver. 27
  • 6. [See ver. 37 above]
  • 7. Matthew 22:30
  • 8. Genesis 7:7-16
  • 9. [See ver. 37 above]
  • 10. Luke 17:35
  • 11. Exodus 11:5; Isaiah 47:2
  • 12. Mark 14:34-38; Luke 12:37; Luke 21:36; Acts 20:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:6
  • 13. John 13:13
  • 14. For ver. 43-51, [Luke 12:39-46]
  • 15. [1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3]
  • 16. Matthew 25:10
  • 17. ver. 27
  • 18. Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Hebrews 3:5
  • 19. Matthew 7:24; Matthew 10:16; Matthew 25:2
  • 20. John 13:17; Revelation 16:15
  • 21. Matthew 25:21, 23
  • 22. Matthew 25:5
  • 23. 1 Thessalonians 5:7
  • 24. 2 Peter 3:12; [Matthew 25:13]
  • 25. See Matthew 8:12

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Some manuscripts omit nor the Son
  • [b]. Greek bondservant; also verses 46, 48, 50
  • [c]. Greek bondservants
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.