I Thessalonians 4

¹Therfor, britheren, fro hennus forward we preien you, and bisechen in the Lord Jhesu, that as ye han resseyued of vs, hou it bihoueth you to go and to plese God, so walke ye, that ye abounde the more.

²For ye witen what comaundementis Y haue youun to you bi the Lord Jhesu.

³For this is the wille of God, youre holynesse, that ye absteyne you fro fornycacioun.

⁴That ech of you kunne welde his vessel in holynesse, and onour;

⁵not in passioun of lust, as hethene men that knowen not God.

⁶And that no man ouergo, nethir disseyue his brothir in chaffaring. For the Lord is venger of alle these thingis, as we biforseiden to you, and han witnessid.

⁷For God clepide not vs in to vnclennesse, but in to holynesse.

⁸Therfor he that dispisith these thingis, dispisith not man, but God, that also yaf his holi spirit in vs.

⁹But of the charite of britherhed we hadden no nede to write to you; ye silf han lerud of God, that ye loue togidere;

¹⁰for ye don that in to alle britheren in al Macedonye. And, britheren, we preyen you, that ye abounde more; and taken kepe, that ye be quyet;

¹¹and that ye do youre nede, and `ye worche with youre hoondis, as we han comaundid to you; and that ye wandre onestli to hem that ben with outforth, and that of no mannus ye desir ony thing.

¹²For, britheren, we wolen not, that ye vnknowe of men that dien, that ye be not soreuful, as othere that han not hope.

¹³For if we bileuen, that Jhesu was deed, and roos ayen, so God schal lede with hym hem that ben deed bi Jhesu.

¹⁴And we seien this thing to you in the word of the Lord, that we that lyuen, that ben left in the comyng of the Lord, schulen not come bifor hem that ben deed.

¹⁵For the Lord hym silf schal come doun fro heuene, in the comaundement, and in the vois of an archaungel, and in the trumpe of God; and the deed men that ben in Crist, schulen rise ayen first.

¹⁶Afterward we that lyuen, that ben left, schulen be rauyschid togidere with hem in cloudis, metinge Crist `in to the eir; and so euere more we schulen be with the Lord.

¹⁷Therfor be ye coumfortid togidere in these wordis.

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.