1 Thessalonians 4

1 Finally therefore, brethren, we pray you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how it behooves you to walk about and to please God, as you do indeed walk about, in order that you may abound more and more.

Finally then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, even as you are living, that you excel more and more.

2 For you know what promises we gave unto you through our Lord Jesus.

For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

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

For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

4 that each one of you know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,

that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

5 not in the passion of lust, as indeed the Gentiles who do not know God;

not in the passion of lust, even as the nations who do not know God;

6 that one should overreach and defraud his brother in a business transaction: because the Lord is the avenger concerning these things, as we indeed before told you and witnessed to you.

that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

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

For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

8 Therefore the one rejecting (sanctification), does not reject man, but God, who indeed gives to you his Holy Spirit.

Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I write to you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another with divine love;

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,

10 for you indeed are doing the same thing unto all the brethren in all Macedonia. And we exhort you, brethren, that you abound more and more;

for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;

11 and that you aspire to be quiet, and to prosecute your own employments, and work with your hands, as we proclaimed unto you;

and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you;

12 in order that you may walk about circumspectly toward the aliens, and you may have need of nothing.

that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

13 For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep; in order that you may not sorrow, even as those having no hope.

But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and is risen, so also will God bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

15 For we speak this to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left unto the coming of the Lord, can not anticipate those who are asleep,

For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.

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

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,

17 then we who are alive, who are left, will at the same time along with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be always with the Lord.

then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.

18 So comfort one another with these words.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.