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[1] 2881 But when ye see Jerusalem with the army compassing it about, then know that [2] its desolation is come near. 2882 Those then that are in Judæa at that time shall flee to the mountain; and those that are within her shall flee; and those that are in the [3] villages shall not enter her. 2883 For these days are the days of vengeance, that all that [4] is written may be fulfilled. 2884 And when ye see the unclean sign of desolation, 2885 spoken of in Daniel the prophet, standing in the pure place, he that readeth shall understand, [5, 6] 2886 and then he that is in Judæa shall flee in to the mountain: 2887 and let him that is on the [7] roof not go down, nor enter in to take anything from his house: 2888 and let him that is in [8] [Arabic, p. 159] the field not turn behind him to take his garment. 2889 Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! there shall be great [9] distress in the land, and wrath against this nation. 2890 And they shall fall on the edge of the sword, 2891 and shall be taken captive to every land: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the nations, until the times of the nations be ended.
[10] 2892 Then if any man say unto you, The Messiah is here; or, Lo, he is there; believe [11] him not: 2893 there shall rise then false Messiahs and prophets of lying, and shall do signs and wonders, in order that they may lead astray even the elect also, if they [12] be able. 2894 But as for you, beware: for I have acquainted you with everything [13] beforehand. 2895 If then they say unto you, Lo, he is in the desert; go not out, lest ye [14] be taken: and if they say unto you, Lo, he is in the chamber; believe not. 2896 And as the lightning appeareth from the east, and is seen unto the west; so shall be the [15] coming of the Son of man. 2897 But first he must suffer much and be rejected by this [16] generation. 2898 2899 Pray therefore that your flight be not in winter, nor on a sabbath: [17] 2900 there shall be then great tribulation, 2901 the like of which there hath not been from the [18] beginning of the world till now, nor shall be. 2902 And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would have lived: but because of the elect, whom he elected, [19] he shortened those days. 2903 And there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and upon the earth affliction 2904 of the nations, and rubbing of hands for the confusion 2905 [20] [Arabic, p. 160] of the noise of the sea, and an earthquake: 2906 the souls of men shall [21] go forth from fear of that which is to come upon the earth. 2907 And in those days, straightway after the distress of those days, the sun shall become dark, and the moon shall not shew its light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers [22] of heaven shall be convulsed: 2908 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and at that time all the tribes of the earth shall wail, and look unto the Son [23] of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory. 2909 And he shall send his angels with the great trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the four [24] winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 2910 2911 But when these things begin to be, be of good cheer, and lift up your heads; for your salvation 2912 is come near.
[25] 2913 Learn the example of the fig tree: when it letteth down its branches, 2914 and putteth [26] forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is come; 2915 so ye also, when ye see these things begun to be, know ye that the kingdom of God hath arrived at the [27] door. 2916 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these [28] things shall be. 2917 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my sayings shall not pass away.
[29] 2918 Take heed to yourselves, that your hearts become not heavy with inordinate desire, 2919 and drunkenness, and the care of the world at any time, and that day come p. 109 [30] upon you suddenly: 2920 for it is as a shock that shocks all the inhabitants that are on the [31] face of the whole earth. 2921 Watch at all times, and pray, that ye may be worthy to escape [Arabic, p. 161] from all the things that are to be, and that ye may stand before the Son of [32] man. 2922 Of that day and of that hour hath no man learned, not even the angels [33] of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 2923 See ye, and watch and pray: for ye know [34] not when that time will be. 2924 It is as a man, who journeyed, and left his house, and gave his authority to his servants, and appointed every man to his work, and [35] charged the porter to be wakeful. 2925 Be wakeful then: 2926 since ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, in the evening, or in the middle of the night, or when the [36] cock croweth, or in the morning; 2927 lest he come unexpectedly, and find you sleeping. [37] 2928 The thing that I say unto you, unto all of you do I say it, Be ye watchful.
[38] 2929 For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. [39] 2930 As they were before the flood eating and drinking, and taking wives, and giving [40] wives to men, 2931 until the day in which Noah entered into the ark, and they perceived not till the flood came, and took them all; so shall the coming of the Son of man [41] be. 2932 And as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating and drinking, and selling [42] and buying, and planting and building, 2933 on the day in which Lot went out from Sodom, and the Lord rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them [43, 44] all: 2934 so shall it be in the day in which the Son of man is revealed. 2935 2936 And in that day, whosoever is on the roof, and his garments 2937 in the house, let him not go down to [45] take them: and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him. 2938 Remember Lot’s [46] wife. 2939 Whosoever shall desire to save his life shall destroy it: but whosoever shall [47] destroy his life shall save it. 2940 Verily I say unto you, In that night there shall be two on [48] [Arabic, p. 162] one bed; one shall be taken, and another left. 2941 And two women shall be grinding [49] at one mill; one shall be taken, and another left. 2942 And two shall be in the [50] field; one shall be taken, and another left. 2943 They answered and said unto him, To what place, our Lord? He said unto them, Where the body is, there will the eagles [51, 52] gather. 2944 Be attentive now: for ye know not at what hour your Lord cometh. 2945 Know this: if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been attentive, and would not make it possible that his house should be [53] broken through. 2946 Therefore be ye also ready: for in the hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
So Vat. ms., following the Peshitta. Ciasca follows Borg. ms., which by a change of diacritical points has the hardly grammatical reading, see that it is the desolation, the unclean thing spoken of. Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary supports Vat. ms.
108:2886 108:2887 108:2888 108:2889 108:2890 108:2891This word has a Syriac meaning given to it. In Arabic it means war.
108:2892 108:2893 108:2894 108:2895 108:2896 108:2897 108:2898 108:2899 108:2900 108:2901Same Arabic (and Syriac) word as in § 41, 50.
108:2902 108:2903 108:2904Same Arabic (and Syriac) word as in § 41, 50.
108:2905So the Borg. ms. The Vat. ms., followed by Ciasca, has grief.
108:2906 108:2907 108:2908 108:2909 108:2910Lit. the end of heaven unto its end.
108:2911 108:2912 108:2913 108:2914cf. Peshitta, which text the translator seems to have misread.
108:2915 108:2916 108:2917 108:2918 108:2919 109:2920 109:2921 109:2922 109:2923 109:2924 109:2925 109:2926 109:2927 109:2928 109:2929 109:2930 109:2931 109:2932 109:2933 109:2934 109:2935 109:2936 109:2937 109:2938 109:2939 109:2940 109:2941 109:2942 109:2943 109:2944 109:2945 109:2946