1 Thessalonians 4

1 And furthermore we beseeche you, brethren, and exhort you in the Lord Iesus, that ye increase more and more, as ye haue receiued of vs, how ye ought to walke, and to please God.

Further, friends, we beg and urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus to carry out more fully than ever – as indeed you are already doing – all that you have heard from us as to what your daily life must be, if it is to please God.

2 For ye knowe what commandements we gaue you by the Lord Iesus.

For you have not forgotten the directions that we gave you on the authority of our Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God euen your sanctification, and that ye should abstaine from fornication,

For this is God’s purpose – that you should be pure; abstaining from all immorality;

4 That euery one of you should know, how to possesse his vessell in holines and honour,

each of you learning to gain control over your own body, in a way that is holy and honourable,

5 And not in the lust of concupiscence, euen as the Gentiles which know not God:

and not for the mere gratification of your passions, like the Gentiles who know nothing of God;

6 That no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter: for the Lord is auenger of all such thinges, as we also haue tolde you before time, and testified.

none of you overreaching or taking advantage of their fellow follower of the Lord in such matters. The Lord takes vengeance on all who do such things, as we have already warned you and solemnly declared.

7 For God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse, but vnto holinesse.

For God does not call us to an impure life, but demands holiness.

8 Hee therefore that despiseth these thinges, despiseth not man, but God who hath euen giuen you his holy Spirit.

Therefore the person who disregards this warning disregards, not people, but God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 But as touching brotherly loue, ye neede not that I write vnto you: for ye are taught of God to loue one another.

As to love for each other there is no need to write to you; for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another;

10 Yea, and that thing verily yee doe vnto all the brethren, which are throughout all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more,

and indeed you do act in this spirit towards all his people throughout Macedonia. Yet, friends, we beg you to do even more.

11 And that ye studie to be quiet, and to meddle with your owne busines, and to worke with your owne handes, as we commanded you,

Make it your ambition to live quietly, and to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we directed you;

12 That yee may behaue your selues honestly towarde them that are without, and that nothing be lacking vnto you.

so that your conduct may win respect from those outside the church, and that you may not want for anything.

13 I would not, brethren, haue you ignorant concerning them which are a sleepe, that ye sorow not euen as other which haue no hope.

We don’t want you to be ignorant, friends, about those who have passed to their rest. We don’t want you to grieve like other people who have no hope.

14 For if we beleeue that Iesus is dead, and is risen, euen so them which sleepe in Iesus, will God bring with him.

For, as we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring, with Jesus, those who through him have passed to their rest.

15 For this say we vnto you by the worde of the Lord, that we which liue, and are remayning in the comming of the Lord, shall not preuent them which sleepe.

This we tell you on the authority of the Lord – that those of us who are still living at the coming of the Lord will not anticipate those who have passed to their rest.

16 For the Lord himselfe shall descende from heauen with a shoute, and with the voyce of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

For, with a loud summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the trumpet-call of God, the Lord himself will come down from heaven.

17 Then shall we which liue and remaine, be caught vp with them also in the clouds, to meete the Lord in the ayre: and so shall we euer be with the Lord.

Then those who died in union with Christ will rise first; and afterwards we who are still living will be caught up in the clouds, with them, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be for ever with the Lord.

18 Wherefore, comfort your selues one another with these wordes.

Therefore, comfort one another with what I have told you.