1 Thessalonians 4

1 For the rest, brethren, we request and exhort you, in our Lord Jesus, [that], even as ye received from us, how ye must needs walk and please God, —even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more.

Furthermore then we beseech you, brothers, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what charges we gave you, through the Lord Jesus.

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

3 For, this, is a thing willed of God, your sanctification, —that ye should abstain from unchastity,

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

4 That ye should know, each one of you, how, of his own vessel, to possess himself in sanctification and honour:

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

5 Not with a passion of coveting, —just as even the nations who know not God, —

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

6 Not over-reaching and defrauding, in the matter, his brother; because, an avenger, is the Lord, concerning all these things, —even as we before told you, and solemnly called you to witness.

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.

7 For God did not call us, with a permission of impurity, but, in sanctification.

For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness.

8 Therefore, indeed, he that disregardeth—it is, not a man, he disregardeth, but God, —Who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.

He therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who has also given to us his holy Spirit.

9 But, concerning brotherly love—no need, have ye, that we be writing unto you; for, ye yourselves, are, God-taught, to the loving of one another; —

But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write to you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 And, in fact, ye are doing it unto all the brethren [who are] in the whole of Macedonia; but we exhort you, brethren, to abound still more,

And indeed you do it toward all the brothers which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brothers, that you increase more and more;

11 And to be ambitious to be quiet, and to be attending to your own affairs, and to be working with your hands, —even as, unto you, we gave charge—

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

12 That ye should walk reputably toward those without, and, of no one, have, need.

That you may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that you may have lack of nothing.

13 But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are falling asleep, —lest ye be sorrowing, even as the rest also, who are without hope;

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For, if we believe that, Jesus, died, and rose again, so, also will, God, bring forth with him, them who have fallen asleep through Jesus;

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For, this, unto you, do we say, by a word of the Lord, —that, we, the living who are left unto the Presence of the Lord, shall in nowise get before them who have fallen asleep;

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 Because, the Lord himself, with a word of command, with a chief-messenger’s voice, and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven, —and, the dead in Christ, shall rise, first,

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:

17 After that, we, the living who are left, together with them, shall be caught away, in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: —and, thus, evermore, with the Lord, shall we be!

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.

18 So then, be consoling one another with these words.

Why comfort one another with these words.