1 Thessalonians 4

1 As to the rest, then, brothers, we request, and call on you in the Lord Jesus, as you received from us how it is necessary for you to walk and to please God, that you may abound the more,

Finally then, my brothers, I continue to beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you learned of me how to walk so as to please God - and you are actually doing so - that you abound in it yet more and more.

2 for you have known what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus;

For you know what charges I laid upon you through the Lord Jesus.

3 for this is the will of God—your sanctification: that you abstain from the whoredom,

For this is God’s will, even your sanctification; that you should abstain from sexual vice.

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

That each one should learn how to take a wife in purity and honor.

5 not in the affection of desire, as also the nations that were not knowing God,

Not in the passion of lust, like the Gentiles who know not God.

6 that no one goes beyond and defrauds his brother in the matter, because the LORD [is] an avenger of all these, as we also spoke to you before and testified,

That no man overreach or take advantage of his brother in such matters, because "the Lord takes vengeance" in all these things, as also I repeatedly forewarned you and testified to you.

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

For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness.

8 He, therefore, who is despising, does not despise man, but God, who also gave His Holy Spirit to us.

So that he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gave you his Holy Spirit.

9 And concerning the brotherly love, you have no need of [my] writing to you, for you yourselves are God-taught to love one another,

It is not needed that I should write to you about brotherly love; for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

10 for you do it also to all the brothers who [are] in all Macedonia; and we call on you, brothers, to abound still more,

As indeed you do love all the brothers in Macedonia. But I exhort you, brothers, to abound in this yet more.

11 and to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,

Also, that you endeavor to live quietly and to mind your own business, and to work with your hands (as I charged you).

12 that you may walk properly to those outside, and may have lack of nothing.

So that your conduct may be seemly toward those that are without, and that you may not need help from any man.

13 And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you may not sorrow, as also the rest who have no hope,

But I would not have you ignorant, brothers, about those who are falling asleep. You must not sorrow like other men, who have no hope.

14 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God will bring with Him those asleep through Jesus,

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

15 for we say this to you in the word of the LORD, that we who are living—who remain over to the coming of the LORD—may not precede those asleep,

For this I tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are living, who survive unto the coming of the Lord, will in no wise precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 because the LORD Himself, with a shout, with the voice of a chief-messenger, and with the trumpet of God, will come down from Heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first;

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

17 then we who are living, who are remaining over, will be snatched up together with them in [the] clouds to meet the LORD in [the] air, and so we will always be with the LORD;

And afterwards we who are alive, who 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.

18 so, then, comfort one another with these words.

So comfort one another with these words.