Luke 17:20-37

Expanded Bible

God’s Kingdom Is Within You

²⁰ Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom of God come?”

Jesus answered, “God’s kingdom ·is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes [^Lis not coming with observable/visible signs; ^Cperhaps the heavenly signs described in Jewish apocalyptic literature]. ²¹ People will not say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ because God’s kingdom is ·within you [or among you; in your midst].”

When Jesus, the Son of Man, Comes Again^(A)

²² Then Jesus said to ·his followers [the disciples], “The time will come when you will ·want very much [long] to see one of the days of the Son of Man [^Cthe full revelation of the kingdom at Jesus’ return]. But you will not see it. ²³ People will say to you, ‘Look, ·there he is [or over there]!’ or, ‘Look, ·here he is [or over here]!’ ·Stay where you are [^LDon’t leave/go out]; don’t go away and ·search [pursue; chase after].

²⁴ “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so ·it will be when the Son of Man comes again [^Lwill be the Son of Man in his day].^{[a] 25} But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by ·the people of this time [^Lthis generation]. ²⁶ Just as it was ·when Noah lived [^Lin the days of Noah; Gen. 6—9], so it will be ·when the Son of Man comes again [^Lin the days of the Son of Man]. ²⁷ People were eating, drinking, marrying, and ·giving their children to be married [or being given in marriage] until the day Noah entered the boat. Then the flood came and ·killed [destroyed] them all. ²⁸ It will be the same as ·during the time [^Lin the days] of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. ²⁹ But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and ·sulfur [^Tbrimstone] rained down from ·the sky [heaven] and ·killed [destroyed] them all [Gen. 19]. ³⁰ This is how it will be ·when [^Lthe day] the Son of Man ·comes again [^Lis revealed].

³¹ “On that day, a person who is on the roof [^Croofs were typically flat and used as extra rooms] and whose belongings are in the house should not ·go inside [^Lcome down] to get them. A person who is in the field should not ·go back home [^Lturn back]. ³² Remember Lot’s wife [^Cwho was judged for longingly looking back at Sodom; Gen. 19:15–17, 26]. ³³ Those who try to ·keep [preserve; keep secure] their lives will lose them. But those who ·give up [lose; let go of] their lives will save them. ³⁴ I tell you, on that night two people will be sleeping in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. ³⁵ There will be two women grinding grain together; one will be taken, and the other will be left. |³⁶ Two people will be in the field. One will be taken, and the other will be left.|”^[b]

³⁷ ·The followers [^LThey] asked Jesus, “·Where will this be [^LWhere], Lord?”

Jesus answered, “Where there is a ·dead body [corpse], there the vultures will gather [^Cthe carnage will make the place of judgment obvious to all].”