1 Thessalonians 4

1 FURTHERMORE 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.

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 ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

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

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

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

4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

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

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

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

6 That 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.

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 hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

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

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us 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 as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

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 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase 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 ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded 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 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

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

13 But 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.

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 rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

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 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.

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 For 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:

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 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.

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 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.