1 Thessalonians 4

1 Further, Brothers, we beg and exhort you in the name of our Lord Jesus to carry out more fully than ever — as indeed you are already doing — all that you have heard from us as to what your daily life must be, if it is to please God.

2 For you have not forgotten the directions that we gave you on the authority of our Lord Jesus.

3 For this is God’s purpose — that you should be pure; abstaining from all immorality;

4 each of you recognising the duty of taking one woman for his wife, purely and honourably,

5 and not for the mere gratification of his passions, like the Gentiles who know nothing of God;

6 none of you over-reaching or taking advantage of his Brother in such matters. ‘The Lord takes vengeance’ upon all who do such things, as we have already warned you and solemnly declared.

7 For God’s Call to us does not permit of an impure life, but demands purity.

8 Therefore he who disregards this warning disregards, not man, but God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 As to love for the Brethren there is no need to write to you; for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another;

10 and indeed you do act in this spirit towards all the Brethren throughout Macedonia. Yet, Brothers, we urge you to still further efforts.

11 Make it your ambition to live quietly, and to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we directed you;

12 so that your conduct may win respect from those outside the Church, and that you may not want for anything.

13 We do not wish you to remain in ignorance, Brothers, with regard to those who have passed to their rest, that your grief may not be like that of others, who have no hope.

14 For, as we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring, with Jesus, those who through him have passed to their rest.

15 This we tell you on the authority of the Lord — that those of us who are still living at the Coming of the Lord will not anticipate those who have passed to their rest.

16 For, with a loud summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the trumpet-call of God, the Lord himself will come down from Heaven.

17 Then those who died in union with Christ shall rise first; and afterwards we who are still living shall be caught up in the clouds, with them, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall be for ever with the Lord.

18 Therefore, comfort one another with what I have told you.