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!

Finally then, brothers, we urge and exhort you in the Lord Jesus: as you received from us how you ought to behave and please God, do so even more

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

—you know what instructions we gave you through Sovereign Jesus.

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

Now this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you stay away 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 gain possession of his own ‘vessel’ in sanctification and honor,

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

not in lustful passion (like the heathen who do not know 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.

that no one trespass and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such behavior, as, indeed, we have already told you and warned you.

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

Because God did not call us for uncleanness, but by holiness.

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.

So then, the rejecter is not rejecting man, but God, the very One who gave you His Holy Spirit.

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

Now about brotherly love you do not need to be written to, for you yourselves are taught by 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.

because in fact you are doing so toward all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Still, we exhort you to do even more, brothers,

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

to make it a point to be peaceable and to mind your own business, to work with your hands (as we instructed 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.

so that outsiders may be well impressed by your life style, and that you may have no lack.

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.

Now then, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who have ‘fallen asleep’, so that you do not grieve like 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.

Because since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, just so will God bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

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 by a word of the Lord, that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will absolutely not precede 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.

because the Lord Himself—with a commanding shout, with the archangel's voice and with God's trumpet—will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will 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 who are still alive, who are left, will be snatched up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air. In precisely this way we will always be with the Lord.

18 So encourage one another with these words.

So then, comfort one another with these words.