I Thessalonians 4

¹Therefore, concerning other things, brothers, we ask and beg you, in the Lord Jesus, that, just as you have received from us the way in which you ought to walk and to please God, so also may you walk, in order that you may abound all the more.

²For you know what precepts I have given to you through the Lord Jesus.

³For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication,

⁴that each one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,

⁵not in passions of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God,

⁶and that no one should overwhelm or circumvent his brother in business. For the Lord is the vindicator of all these things, just as we have preached and testified to you.

⁷For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.

⁸And so, whoever despises these teachings, does not despise man, but God, who has even provided his Holy Spirit within us.

⁹But concerning the charity of brotherhood, we have no need to write to you. For you yourselves have learned from God that you should love one another.

¹⁰For indeed, you act in this way with all the brothers in all of Macedonia. But we petition you, brothers, so that you may abound all the more,

¹¹to choose work that allows you to be tranquil, and to carry out your business and to do your work with your own hands, just as we have instructed you,

¹²and to walk honestly with those who are outside, and to desire nothing belonging to another.

¹³And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope.

¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him.

¹⁵For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

¹⁶For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first.

¹⁷Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always.

¹⁸Therefore, console one another with these words.

I Thessalonians 4

¹For the rest therefore, brethren, pray and beseech you in the Lord Jesus that, as you have received from us, how you ought to walk and to please God, so also you would walk, that you may abound the more.

²For you know what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus.

³For this is the will of God, your sanctification: That you should abstain from fornication:

⁴That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour,

⁵Not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles that know not God:

⁶And that no man overreach nor circumvent his brother in business: because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, as we have told you before and have testified.

⁷For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctification.

⁸Therefore, he that despiseth these things, despiseth not man, but God, who also hath given his holy Spirit in us.

⁹But as touching the charity of brotherhood, we have no need to write to you: for yourselves have learned of God to love one another.

¹⁰For indeed you do it towards all the brethren in all Macedonia. But we entreat you, brethren, that you abound more:

¹¹And that you use your endeavour to be quiet: and that you do your own business and work with your own hands, as we commanded you: and that you walk honestly towards them that are without: and that you want nothing of any man's.

¹²And we will not have you ignorant brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope.

¹³For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again: even so them who have slept through Jesus, will God bring with him.

¹⁴For this we say unto you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them who have slept.

¹⁵For the Lord himself shall come down from heaven with commandment and with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God: and the dead who are in Christ shall rise first.

¹⁶Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet Christ, into the air: and so shall we be always with the Lord.

¹⁷Wherefore, comfort ye one another with these words.

¹⁸