Diatessaron

Tatian, ANF 9

But when ye see Jerusalem with the army compassing it about, then know that its …

But when ye see Jerusalem with the army compassing it about, then know that its desolation is come near. 2Those then that are in Judaea at that time shall flee to the mountain; and those that are within her shall flee; and those that are in the villages shall not enter her. 3For these days are the days of vengeance, that all that is written may be fulfilled. 4And when ye see the unclean sign of desolation,¹ spoken of in Daniel the prophet, standing in the pure place, he that readeth shall understand, 5and then he that is in Judaea shall flee in to the mountain: 6and let him that is on the roof not go down, nor enter in to take anything from his house: 7and let him that is in the field not turn behind him to take his garment. 8Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath against this nation. 9And they shall fall on the edge of the sword,² 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. 10Then if any man say unto you, The Messiah is here; or, Lo, he is there; believe him not: 11there 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 be able. 12But as for you, beware: for I have acquainted you with everything beforehand. 13If then they say unto you, Lo, he is in the desert; go not out, lest ye be taken: and if they say unto you, Lo, he is in the chamber; believe not. 14And as the lightning appeareth from the east, and is seen unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. 15But first he must suffer much and be rejected by this generation.³ 16Pray therefore that your flight be not in winter, nor on a sabbath: 17there shall be then great tribulation,⁴ the like of which there hath not been from the beginning of the world till now, nor shall be. 18And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would have lived: but because of the elect, whom he elected, he shortened those days. 19And there shall be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and upon the earth affliction⁵ of the nations, and rubbing of hands for the confusion⁶ of the noise of the sea, and an earthquake: 20the souls of men shall go forth from fear of that which is to come upon the earth. 21And 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 of heaven shall be convulsed: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: 22and at that time all the tribes of the earth shall wail, and look unto the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory. 23And he shall send his angels with the great trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.⁷ 24But when these things begin to be, be of good cheer, and lift up your heads; for your salvation⁸ is come near.

Learn the example of the fig tree: when it letteth down its branches,⁹ and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is come; 26so ye also, when ye see these things begun to be, know ye that the kingdom of God hath arrived at the door. 27Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, until all these things shall be. 28Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my sayings shall not pass away.

Take heed to yourselves, that your hearts become not heavy with inordinate desire,¹⁰ and drunkenness, and the care of the world at any time, and that day come upon you suddenly: 30for it is as a shock that shocks all the inhabitants that are on the face of the whole earth. 31Watch at all times, and pray, that ye may be worthy to escape from all the things that are to be, and that ye may stand before the Son of man. 32Of that day and of that hour hath no man learned, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33See ye, and watch and pray: for ye know not when that time will be. 34It 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 charged the porter to be wakeful. 35Be wakeful then:¹¹ since ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, in the evening, or in the middle of the night, or when the cock croweth, or in the morning; 36lest he come unexpectedly, and find you sleeping. 37The thing that I say unto you, unto all of you do I say it, Be ye watchful.

For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. 39As they were before the flood eating and drinking, and taking wives, and giving wives to men, 40until 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 be. 41And as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating and drinking, and selling and buying, and planting and building, 42on the day in which Lot went out from Sodom, and the Lord rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: 43so shall it be in the day in which the Son of man is revealed.¹² 44And in that day, whosoever is on the roof, and his garments¹³ in the house, let him not go down to take them: and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him. 45Remember Lot’s wife. 46Whosoever shall desire to save his life shall destroy it: but whosoever shall destroy his life shall save it. 47Verily I say unto you, In that night there shall be two on one bed; one shall be taken, and another left. 48And two women shall be grinding at one mill; one shall be taken, and another left. 49And two shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and another left. 50They answered and said unto him, To what place, our Lord? He said unto them, Where the body is, there will the eagles gather. 51Be attentive now: for ye know not at what hour your Lord cometh. 52Know 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 broken through. 53Therefore be ye also ready: for in the hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Notes

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-aṭ-Ṭayyib’s Commentary supports Vat. MS.
This word has a Syriac meaning given to it. In Arabic it means war.
cf. §16, 2.
Same Arabic (and Syriac) word as in §41, 50.
Same Arabic (and Syriac) word as in §41, 50.
So the Borg. MS. The Vat. MS., followed by Ciasca, has grief.
Lit. the end of heaven unto its end.
Or, deliverance.
cf. Peshitta, which text the translator seems to have misread.
cf. Peshitta.
cf. §9, 21
Or, appeareth.
cf. §14, 24 note.