I Thessalonians 4

¹Furthermore then, brethren, we beseech you, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye are walking, ye would abound still more;

²for ye know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

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

⁴that every one of you should know how to procure for himself his own vessel in purity and honor,

⁵not in the passion of lust, even as the gentiles who know not God;

⁶that no one should go beyond and overreach his brother in the matter; because the Lord is the avenger in respect to all these things, as we also told you before and solemnly testified.

⁷For God did not call us to live in uncleanness, but in purity.

⁸He therefore that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who also gave to you his Holy Spirit.

⁹But concerning brotherly love there is no need of writing to you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;

¹⁰for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, to abound in love still more;

¹¹and to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

¹²that ye may walk becomingly toward those without, and may have need of nothing.

¹³But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are sleeping, that ye may not sorrow, as others do, who have no hope.

¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then also will God, through Jesus, bring again with him those who have fallen asleep.

¹⁵For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are living, we who are left till the coming of the Lord, shall not anticipate those who have fallen asleep.

¹⁶For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a loud summons, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first;

¹⁷then we who are living, we who are left, shall be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we be ever with the Lord.

¹⁸So then comfort one another with these words.

I Thessalonians 4

¹Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

²For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

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

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

⁵Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

⁶That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

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

⁸He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

⁹But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

¹⁰And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

¹¹And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

¹²That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.