27. He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.
28. Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near.
29. So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come.
30. You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens.
31. The sky and the earth will not last for ever, but my words will.
32. No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don't know, and the Son himself doesn't know. Only the Father knows.
33. So watch out and be ready! You don't know when the time will come.
34. It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. He tells each of them what to do, and he orders the guard to keep alert.
35. So be alert! You don't know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning.
36. But if he comes suddenly, don't let him find you asleep.
37. I tell everyone just what I have told you. Be alert!