< 1 Thessalonians 4 >
1 Now, my fellow believers, [I want to write] about some other matters. Because we all have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus, we(exc) strongly urge you [DOU] to live in a way that pleases God. We taught you to do that, and you know that we lived that way as a result of what the Lord Jesus [told us]. We know that you are conducting your lives that way, but [we strongly urge] that you do that even more.
το λοιπον ουν αδελφοι ερωτωμεν υμας και παρακαλουμεν εν κυριω ιησου καθως παρελαβετε παρ ημων το πως δει υμας περιπατειν και αρεσκειν θεω ινα περισσευητε μαλλον
οιδατε γαρ τινας παραγγελιας εδωκαμεν υμιν δια του κυριου ιησου
3 God wants you to live pure lives that will show that you completely belong to him. He wants you to avoid doing any sexually immoral acts (OR, avoid being sexually immoral in any way).
τουτο γαρ εστιν θελημα του θεου ο αγιασμος υμων απεχεσθαι υμας απο της πορνειας
4 [That is, he wants] each one of you to know how to control your own sexual desires [EUP]. He wants you to live pure lives that all people will see as good.
ειδεναι εκαστον υμων το εαυτου σκευος κτασθαι εν αγιασμω και τιμη
5 You must not lustfully desire [to do] immoral acts as unbelievers [MTY] [do] who do not obey God.
μη εν παθει επιθυμιας καθαπερ και τα εθνη τα μη ειδοτα τον θεον
6 [God wants each one of you to control your sexual desires, in order that] no one of you sin against your fellow believer and take advantage of him or her by doing things like that. Remember that we strongly warned you previously [DOU] that the Lord [Jesus] will punish all [people who do] sexually immoral acts.
το μη υπερβαινειν και πλεονεκτειν εν τω πραγματι τον αδελφον αυτου διοτι εκδικος ο κυριος περι παντων τουτων καθως και προειπαμεν υμιν και διεμαρτυραμεθα
7 When God chose us [believers], he did not want us to [be people who] behave in a sexually immoral way. On the contrary, [he wants us] to be [people who] behave in a morally pure way.
ου γαρ εκαλεσεν ημας ο θεος επι ακαθαρσια αλλ εν αγιασμω
8 So I warn you that those who disregard [this teaching] of mine [are] not just disregarding me. On the contrary, [they are disregarding] God, [because God commanded it. Remember that] God sent his Spirit, who is holy, [to live] in you!
τοιγαρουν ο αθετων ουκ ανθρωπον αθετει αλλα τον θεον τον και δοντα το πνευμα αυτου το αγιον εις ημας
9 [I want to urge you] again [that you should] love [your] fellow believers [MET]. You do not really need that [anyone] write to you about that, because God has already taught you [how] to love each other,
περι δε της φιλαδελφιας ου χρειαν εχετε γραφειν υμιν αυτοι γαρ υμεις θεοδιδακτοι εστε εις το αγαπαν αλληλους
10 and because you already are [showing that you love] your fellow believers [HYP] [who live] in other places [in your province] of Macedonia. Nevertheless, my fellow believers, we urge you to [love each other] even more.
και γαρ ποιειτε αυτο εις παντας τους αδελφους τους εν ολη τη μακεδονια παρακαλουμεν δε υμας αδελφοι περισσευειν μαλλον
11 [We urge you] also to eagerly strive/try to mind your own affairs and to not meddle/interfere with the affairs of others. We urge you also to work at your own occupations/jobs [to earn what you need to live]. Remember that we taught you previously to live like that.
και φιλοτιμεισθαι ησυχαζειν και πρασσειν τα ιδια και εργαζεσθαι ταις ιδιαις χερσιν υμων καθως υμιν παρηγγειλαμεν
12 If you do these things, unbelievers will acknowledge/see that you behave decently/properly, and you will not have to depend on others [to] ([supply/give to you]) [what you need].
ινα περιπατητε ευσχημονως προς τους εξω και μηδενος χρειαν εχητε
13 My fellow believers, we also want you to understand well [LIT] [what will happen] to our fellow believers [who now] are dead [EUP]. [You must not be/do like] the unbelievers. They [grieve deeply for people who die because] they do not confidently expect [people to live again after they die].
ου θελω δε υμας αγνοειν αδελφοι περι των κεκοιμημενων ινα μη λυπησθε καθως και οι λοιποι οι μη εχοντες ελπιδα
14 We [believers] know that it is true that Jesus died and that he came back [to life] again. So [we also know well that] when Jesus returns, God [will cause] those [believers] who died [EUP] [to live again] and to come with [Jesus].
ει γαρ πιστευομεν οτι ιησους απεθανεν και ανεστη ουτως και ο θεος τους κοιμηθεντας δια του ιησου αξει συν αυτω
15 [I write this] because the Lord [Jesus] revealed [to me] what I am now telling you. [Some of you may think that] when the Lord [Jesus] comes back, he will consider that we [believers] who are still living will be superior to those [believers] who have died [EUP], because [we will meet Jesus first. That is certainly not true]!
τουτο γαρ υμιν λεγομεν εν λογω κυριου οτι ημεις οι ζωντες οι περιλειπομενοι εις την παρουσιαν του κυριου ου μη φθασωμεν τους κοιμηθεντας
16 It is the Lord [Jesus] himself who will descend from heaven. [When he comes down, he] will command all of [us believers to rise from their graves]. The chief angel will shout [loudly], and [another angel] will blow a trumpet for God. Then (OR, As a result), the first thing that will happen is that the people who [trusted] in Christ before they died will live again.
οτι αυτος ο κυριος εν κελευσματι εν φωνη αρχαγγελου και εν σαλπιγγι θεου καταβησεται απ ουρανου και οι νεκροι εν χριστω αναστησονται πρωτον
17 After that, [God] will powerfully take up into the clouds all of us [believers] who are still living [on this earth]. [He will take us] and those [other believers who have died], in order that [we all] might together meet/welcome the Lord [Jesus] in the sky. As a result of that, we [all] will be with him forever.
επειτα ημεις οι ζωντες οι περιλειπομενοι αμα συν αυτοις αρπαγησομεθα εν νεφελαις εις απαντησιν του κυριου εις αερα και ουτως παντοτε συν κυριω εσομεθα
18 Because [all this is true], encourage/comfort each other by reminding each other of this teaching.
ωστε παρακαλειτε αλληλους εν τοις λογοις τουτοις