40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.(A) 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.(B)

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.(C) 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,(D) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready,(E) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,(F) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.(G) 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.(H) 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.(I) 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(J)

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40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

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

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46 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 ruler over all his goods.

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 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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40 At that time there will be two men in the field; one [a]will be taken and one [b]will be left. 41 (A)Two women will be grinding at the [c](B)mill; one [d]will be taken and one [e]will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

42 “Therefore (C)be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But [f]be sure of this, that (D)if the head of the house had known (E)at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason (F)you must be ready as well; for (G)the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45 (H)Who then is the (I)faithful and (J)sensible slave whom his [g]master (K)put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his [h]master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that (L)he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My [i]master [j]is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; 50 then the [k]master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will [l]cut him in two and assign [m]him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be (M)weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:40 Lit is
  2. Matthew 24:40 Lit is
  3. Matthew 24:41 I.e., handmill
  4. Matthew 24:41 Lit is
  5. Matthew 24:41 Lit is
  6. Matthew 24:43 Lit know that
  7. Matthew 24:45 Or lord
  8. Matthew 24:46 Or lord
  9. Matthew 24:48 Or lord
  10. Matthew 24:48 Lit lingers
  11. Matthew 24:50 Or lord
  12. Matthew 24:51 Possibly referring to other extreme punishment
  13. Matthew 24:51 Lit his portion with

40 At that time two men will be in the field; one will be [a]taken [for judgment] and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken [for judgment] and one will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

42 “So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.(A) 44 Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others [in the house] their food and supplies at the proper time?(B) 46 Blessed is that [faithful] servant when his master returns and finds him doing so. 47 I assure you and most solemnly say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time [he will not return for a long while],’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware, 51 and will cut him in two and put him with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:40 This is not the removal of the church described in 1 Thess 4:13-18 and Rev 3:10. The one taken is taken for judgment just as the wicked were taken by the flood in Noah’s day. The one left is left to enter the kingdom that Christ will establish.