1 Thessalonians 5
1 My fellow believers, [I want to tell you more] about the time or period [when the Lord Jesus will come back. Really], you do not need me to you about that,
Mo gotlhe go tlaa diragala leng? Tota ga ke tlhoke go bua sepe kaga gone, bakaulengwe ba ba rategang,
2 because you yourselves know accurately [what will happen! You know] that the Lord [Jesus will return] [MTY] [unexpectedly] (OR, [when some people are unprepared]). [People will not expect him, just like no one knows when] a thief [comes unexpectedly] at night [SIM].
gonne lo itse sentle gore ga go na ope yo o itseng. Letsatsi leo la Morena le tlaa tla go lebetswe jaaka legodu mo bosigong.
3 [At a future time] many people will say, “[All is] peaceful and [we are] safe!” Then suddenly the Lord Jesus will come to punish people severely! Just like a pregnant woman who [experiences] birth pains [cannot stop those pains], those people will definitely not [have any way to] escape [their punishment].
E tlaa re fa batho ba re, “Gotlhe go siame, sengwe le sengwe se ritibetse ebile go na le kagiso”, jalo ka tshoganetso tshenyego e kgolo e tlaa ba wela ka bofefo jaaka ditlhabi tsa pelegi tsa mosadi di simolola fa ngwana wa gagwe a tsholwa. Mme batho ba, ga ba kitla ba falola ka gope, ga go kitla go nna le lefelo la go iphitlha.
4 [Just like people] in the dark [are unaware of what is happening around them, most people will not be aware of what is about to happen to them] [MET, PRS]. Just like a thief [comes unexpectedly for people who are unaware, that time of punishment will come when people are not expecting it] [SIM]. But you, my fellow believers, are people who are very much aware [LIT] of what is going to happen. As a result, you will be expecting [LIT] those things [MTY] to happen [PRS]. All of us [believers] are people [IDM] [who do what is right, as people usually do in] the daytime [MET] [when their actions can be seen]. We are not [people who do evil things, as some people do when it is] dark [MET].
Mme bakaulengwe ba ba rategang, ga lo mo lefifing ka dilo tse, ebile ga lo na go hakgamala jaaka legodu fa letsatsi leo la Morena le tla.
Gonne lotlhe lo bana ba lesedi le ba motshegare, mme ga lo ba lefifi le ba bosigo.
6 So we believers must be aware of what is happening. We must be watching carefully, [as people who are awake watch for a thief] [MET]. We must be self-controlled, as people who are (sober/not drunk) are able to control what they do [MET]. People who sleep [MET] [are unaware of what is happening, and unbelievers are like that].
Jalo itlhokomeleng, lo se robale jaaka ba bangwe. Lebelelang go bowa ga gagwe lo bo lo nne boitekanelo.
7 It is at night when people become drunk [and they do very wrong actions/things, and are unaware of what is happening because they] are asleep.
Bosigo ke nako ya go robala le nako e batho ba tagwang ka yone.
8 But we believers are people who [should do what is right] [MET], so we must be self-controlled, [as people] in the daytime [are usually not drunk and are able to control what they do] [MET]. [As Roman soldiers protect themselves by] putting on breastplates and helmets [MET], we [believers] must [protect ourselves by continuing to] trust and love [the Lord Jesus] and by continuing to confidently expect that he will save [us from God’s punishing us at the time when he will punish other people].
Mme a rona ba re nnang mo leseding re nne boitekanelo re sireleditswe ke thebe ya tumelo le lorato, mme re apare tsholofelo ya boitumelo ya poloko jaaka tlhoro ya itshireletso.
9 When God chose us, he did not plan for us to [be people whom he will severely] punish [MTY]. On the contrary, [he decided] that he would save us because of [our trusting in what] our Lord Jesus Christ [has done for us].
Gonne Modimo ga o a re tlhophela go tshololela bogale jwa One mo go rona, fa e se go re boloka ka Morena wa rona Jesu Keresete.
10 Jesus died [to atone/pay] for our [sins] in order that we might be able to live together with him, whether we are alive [MET] or whether we are dead [EUP] [when he returns to earth].
O re swetse gore re tle re nne nae ka malatsi otlhe, re sule le re tshela ka nako ya fa a bowa.
11 Because [you know that this is true], continue to encourage/comfort each other, as indeed you now are doing.
Ke gone kgothatsanang lo agane, fela jaaka lo setse lo dira.
12 My fellow believers, we [three] ask that you recognize/honor [as leaders] those people who work hard for you. [Specifically], respect those who lead you as fellow believers who (have a close relationship with/are united to) the Lord [Jesus]. They warn you [to stop doing what is wrong] (OR, they teach you [to do what is right]).
Bakaulengwe ba ba rategang, tlotlang bagolwane ba phuthego ya lona ba ba dirang ka natla mo go lona ebile ba lo tlhagisa mo go tsotlhe tse di sa siamang.
13 That is, we [ask that you] consider those leaders to be very important and that you love them, because they work [hard to help you]. We also urge you to live peacefully with each other.
Ba tlotleng thata lo bo lo ba neye lorato ka pelo yotlhe gonne ba leka thata go lo thusa. Mme gakologelwang se, go seka ga nna komano mo go lona.
14 My fellow believers, we urge that you warn [believers] who will not work [in order to] ([obtain/earn the money to buy]) [things that they need to live. Tell them that they are behaving wrongly]. We urge you that you encourage [believers] who are fearful (OR, discouraged), and that you help all people who are weak [in any way]. We also urge you to be patient with everyone.
Bakaulengwe ba ba rategang, tlhagisang ba ba ditshwakga; gomotsang ba ba tshogileng; pepetletsang ba ba bokoa; lo bo lo nne pelotelele mo go mongwe le mongwe.
15 Make sure that none [of you] does evil things to anyone [who has done] evil to you. On the contrary, you must always try to do good [things] for each other (OR, to fellow believers) and to everyone else.
Lo bone gore ope a seka a busolosa bosula ka bosula, mme ka malatsi otlhe lo leke go diralana molemo.
16 Be joyful (at all times/always),
Itumeleng ka metlha yotlhe.
17 pray continually,
Nnang lo rapele ka malatsi otlhe.
18 and thank [God] (in all [circumstances/] [of what happens]). God wants you [to behave] like that [because of what] Christ Jesus [has done for you] (OR, because you have a close relationship with Christ Jesus).
Lebogang ka malatsi otlhe go sa re sepe gore go diragala eng, gonne mo ke go rata ga Modimo mo go lona ba lo leng ba ga Keresete Jesu.
19 Do not [refuse the urging from God’s] Spirit [when he is working] [MTY] [among you. That would be like] throwing water on [a fire] [MET]!
Se hupetseng Mowa O O Boitshepo.
20 [Specifically], do not despise messages that the Holy Spirit reveals to someone, [and reject them automatically].
Se tshegeng ka tshotlo ba ba porofitang,
21 On the contrary, evaluate all [such messages]. Accept the [messages that are truly from God, and obey them].
mme sekasekang sengwe le sengwe se se buiwang gore lo tlhomamise gore se boammaaruri, mme fa se le boammaaruri, se amogeleng.
22 Do not obey any kind of evil [message].
Ithibeng mo mofuteng mongwe le mongwe wa bosula.
23 [We pray to] God that he will change you to become more and more like his people should be. He is the one who causes [his people] to have [inner] peace. [That is, we pray] that he will help you so that in all that you think, in all that you desire, and in all that you do, you will be without fault. We ask him that he will keep doing that [until] our Lord Jesus Christ comes back [to earth].
A Modimo wa kagiso ka sebele o lo ntlafatse gotlhelele; gape a mowa wa lona le pelo ya lona le mebele ya lona e nne e nonofile e sena molato go fitlhelela letsatsi leo le Morena wa rona Jesu Keresete a tlaa tlang ka lone gape.
24 [Because God] has invited you [to be his people, you can] certainly trust him to keep on helping you to do that.
Modimo o o go bileditseng go nna ngwana wa One, o tlaa go direla mo gotlhe, fela jaaka o solofeditse.
25 My fellow believers, pray for me and for Silas and for Timothy.
Bakaulengwe ba ba rategang, re rapeleleng.
26 [When you gather together as believers], greet each other affectionately, as fellow believers [should].
Ntumedisetsang bakaulengwe botlhe koo ka seatla.
27 Make certain that you read this letter to all the believers who may be absent when you read it at first, [knowing that] the Lord [Jesus wants you to do it].
Ke lo laola mo leineng la Morena go balela Bakeresete botlhe lokwalo lo.
28 [I pray that] our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to act] kindly toward you all.
Mme a masego a a itekanetseng a a tswang kwa go Morena wa rona Jesu Keresete a nne le lona lotlhe. Ke nna wa lona ruri, Paulo.
