Mark 13:20
New International Version
“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.

New Living Translation
In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.

English Standard Version
And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

Berean Standard Bible
If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.

Berean Literal Bible
And if the Lord had not shortened the days, not any flesh would have been saved; but on account of the elect whom He chose, He has shortened the days.

King James Bible
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

New King James Version
And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

New American Standard Bible
And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

NASB 1995
“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

NASB 1977
“And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days.

Legacy Standard Bible
And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

Amplified Bible
And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose [for Himself], He shortened the days.

Christian Standard Bible
If the Lord had not cut those days short, no one would be saved. But he cut those days short for the sake of the elect, whom he chose.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Unless the Lord limited those days, no one would survive. But He limited those days because of the elect, whom He chose.

American Standard Version
And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the elect's sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“And if THE LORD JEHOVAH had not shortened those days, no one would live; but for the sake of the chosen ones whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days.”

Contemporary English Version
If the Lord doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of his chosen and special ones, he will make the time shorter.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect which he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

English Revised Version
And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If the Lord does not reduce that time, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.

Good News Translation
But the Lord has reduced the number of those days; if he had not, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, he has reduced those days.

International Standard Version
If the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days.

Literal Standard Version
and if the LORD did not shorten the days, no flesh had been saved; but because of the chosen, whom He chose to Himself, He shortened the days.

Majority Standard Bible
If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.

New American Bible
If the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he did shorten the days.

NET Bible
And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short.

New Revised Standard Version
And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days.

New Heart English Bible
Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days.

Webster's Bible Translation
And except the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Weymouth New Testament
and but for the fact that the Lord has cut short those days, no one would escape; but for the sake of His own People whom He has chosen for Himself He has cut short the days.

World English Bible
Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days.

Young's Literal Translation
and if the Lord did not shorten the days, no flesh had been saved; but because of the chosen, whom He did choose to Himself, He did shorten the days.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Abomination of Desolation
19For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and never to be seen again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short. 21At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.…

Cross References
Matthew 24:22
If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

Mark 13:19
For those will be days of tribulation unmatched from the beginning of God's creation until now, and never to be seen again.

Mark 13:21
At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There He is!' do not believe it.


Treasury of Scripture

And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he has chosen, he has shortened the days.

for.

Isaiah 1:9
Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Isaiah 6:13
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Isaiah 65:8,9
Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all…

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Mark 13
1. Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
9. the persecutions for the gospel;
10. that the gospel must be preached to all nations;
14. that great calamities shall happen to the Jews;
24. and the manner of his coming to judgment;
32. the hour whereof being known to none, every man is to watch and pray














Verse 20. - And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days. St. Matthew's record (Matthew 24:22) differs from that of St. Mark in the omission of the words "the Lord," and the clause "whom he chose." If the time of the siege of Jerusalem had lasted much longer, not one of the nation could have survived; all would have perished by war, or famine, or pestilence. The Romans raged against the Jews as an obstinate and rebellious nation, and would have exterminated them. But "the Lord" shortened the time of this frightful catastrophe, for the elect's sake, that is, partly for the sake of the Christians who could not escape from Jerusalem, and partly for that of the Jews, who, subdued by this awful visitation, were converted to Christ or would hereafter be converted to him We learn from hence how great is the love of God towards his elect, and his care for them. For their sakes he spared many Jews. For their sakes he created and preserves the whole world. Yea, for their sakes, Christ the eternal Son was made man, and became obedient unto death. "All things are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." It may be added that a number of providential circumstances combined to shorten these days of terror. Titus was himself disposed to clemency, and friendly towards Josephus. Moreover, he was attached to Bernice, a Jewess, the sister of Agrippa. All these and other circumstances conspired in the providence of God to "shorten the days."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

[the] Lord
Κύριος (Kyrios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

had not shortened
ἐκολόβωσεν (ekolobōsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2856: (lit: I maim, mutilate), I cut short, shorten, abbreviate. From a derivative of the base of kolazo; to dock, i.e. abridge.

those
τὰς (tas)
Article - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

days,
ἡμέρας (hēmeras)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

nobody
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

would be saved.
ἐσώθη (esōthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4982: To save, heal, preserve, rescue. From a primary sos; to save, i.e. Deliver or protect.

But
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

for the sake of
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

elect,
ἐκλεκτοὺς (eklektous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1588: From eklegomai; select; by implication, favorite.

whom
οὓς (hous)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

He has chosen,
ἐξελέξατο (exelexato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1586: To pick out for myself, choose, elect, select. Middle voice from ek and lego; to select.

He has shortened
ἐκολόβωσεν (ekolobōsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2856: (lit: I maim, mutilate), I cut short, shorten, abbreviate. From a derivative of the base of kolazo; to dock, i.e. abridge.

[them].
ἡμέρας (hēmeras)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.


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NT Gospels: Mark 13:20 Unless the Lord had shortened the days (Mar Mk Mr)
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