15 “So when you apprentices see the irreverent object that the prophet Daniyel wrote about being placed in the holy place[ref] (anyone reading this should try to understand it), 16 those in Yehudah (Judea) should flee to the hills, 17 anyone outside on the flat roof shouldn’t go back inside to get things out of the house,[ref] 18 and anyone in the field shouldn’t go back to the house to get their coat. 19 It’ll be very difficult for pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers in those days, 20 and you should pray that your escape won’t be in winter or on a rest day. 21 This will be followed by incredible troubles like nothing that’s ever happened in this world, from creation until the present time, and which will never happen again[ref]— 22 in fact, if those days weren’t shortened, nobody would survive. However, because of the chosen people, those days will be shortened.

23 “At that time, if anyone says, ‘Look, here’s the messiah’ or ‘Here he is’, don’t believe it, 24 because false messiahs and false prophets will emerge, and they’ll do amazing miracles that would, if possible, mislead even the chosen people. 25 Listen, I’m telling you apprentices before it happens.

26 “So if they tell you apprentices, ‘Look, he’s out in the wilderness,’ don’t go out there, or if they say, ‘He’s here in these private rooms,’ don’t believe it,[ref] 27 because when the son of humanity comes, it’ll be like how the lightning goes right across the sky from one side to the other.

28 “Wherever there’s something dead, that’s where the vultures will gather.[ref]

14 “But whenever you all see the most horrible thing that drives people from God, standing where it shouldn’t be[ref] (and you readers should understand that), then anyone in Yehudah (Judea) should flee into the hills, 15 and anyone upstairs looking outside shouldn’t come down into the bedrooms to get anything,[ref] 16 and anyone working outside shouldn’t go back inside to get a change of clothes. 17 It will be extremely difficult for pregnant women and for mothers who are breast-feeding their children in those days. 18 Just pray that it won’t happen in the winter, 19 because those days will be terrible like nothing that’s ever happened before, all the way back to when God created the world, right until the present time, and won’t ever happen again.[ref] 20 If Yahweh hadn’t shortened that time, no humans would even survive, but he shortened that time so that the chosen ones could be saved.

21 ⇔So don’t believe it if you all hear someone say, ‘Look, the messiah has arrived here.’ or ‘There’s the one that God has sent.’ 22 Plenty of fake messiahs and deceiving prophets will certainly come and even do things that humans can’t normally do, so much so that even the chosen ones would defect if that were possible. 23 So watch out, but I’ve warned you in advance about all of that.

20 “However, when you all see Yerushalem (Jerusalem) being surrounded by armies, then you’ll know that the time of her abandonment is close. 21 Then those who are in Yehudah (Judea) should flee to the hills and those in the central area should get out, and foreigners should no longer go there 22 because that will be a time of vengeance when what’s been written will come to pass.[ref] 23 It’ll be so hard for pregnant and breast-feeding women at that time because there’ll be incredible distress in the country and severe anger towards the Jewish people. 24 They’ll be cut down with swords and taken to many other countries as slaves, then Yerushalem will be overrun by non-Jews until the times given to the non-Jews will be fulfilled.