1 Thessalonians 4

1 A few more things: Brothers and sisters, we plead with you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to behave in ways that please God, just as we instructed you. Of course you're already doing this, just do it more and more!

For the rest, then, brethren, we beg you and exhort you in [the] Lord Jesus, even as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and please God, even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more.

2 You remember the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus.

For ye know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3 What God wants is for you to live holy lives. So stay away from sexual immorality

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

4 in order that each of you may control yourselves in a way that is holy and respectful,

that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour,

5 not indulging passionate lust like the heathen who have no knowledge of God.

(not in passionate desire, even as the nations who know not God, )

6 Don't cheat or take advantage of another Christian in these matters, for the Lord is the one who executes justice in all such things, as we've already clearly explained to you, and warned you about.

not overstepping the rights of and wronging his brother in the matter, because the Lord [is] the avenger of all these things, even as we also told you before, and have fully testified.

7 For God did not call us to live impure lives, but holy lives.

For God has not called us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.

8 So anyone who rejects this position isn't just rejecting what a human being is saying; they are rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

He therefore that [in this] disregards [his brother], disregards, not man, but God, who has given also his Holy Spirit to you.

9 We certainly don't need to write and tell you to love fellow believers, because God teaches you to love one another—

Now concerning brotherly love ye have no need that we should write to you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 and in fact you are demonstrating this love to all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so we want to encourage you, brothers and sisters, to love more and more.

For also ye do this towards all the brethren in the whole of Macedonia; but we exhort you, brethren, to abound still more,

11 Try to live a quiet life, minding your own business, doing your own work, as we've already explained to you,

and to seek earnestly to be quiet and mind your own affairs, and work with your [own] hands, even as we charged you,

12 so that your way of life may be respected by non-Christians and you won't have to rely on anyone to provide what you need.

that ye may walk reputably towards those without, and may have need of no one.

13 We don't want you to be confused about what happens when people die, brothers and sisters, so that you won't grieve like others who don't have any hope.

But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are fallen asleep, to the end that ye be not grieved even as also the rest who have no hope.

14 Since we're convinced that Jesus died and rose again, we're also sure that God will bring with Jesus those who have died trusting in him.

For if we believe that Jesus has died and has risen again, so also God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

15 What we're telling you comes from the Lord: those of us who are alive and still here when the Lord comes certainly won't precede those who have died.

(For this we say to you in [the] word of [the] Lord, that we, the living, who remain to the coming of the Lord, are in no way to anticipate those who have fallen asleep;

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the cry of the archangel, and with the sound of God's trumpet, and those who have died in Christ will rise first.

for the Lord himself, with an assembling shout, with archangel's voice and with trump of God, shall descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

17 Then those of us who are alive and still here will be carried up together with them into the clouds, and we shall meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever!

then we, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in [the] clouds, to meet the Lord in [the] air; and thus we shall be always with [the] Lord.

18 So encourage one another with these words.

So encourage one another with these words.)