< 1 thiṣalanīkinaḥ 5 >
1 he bhrātaraḥ, kālān samayāṁścādhi yuṣmān prati mama likhanaṁ niṣprayojanaṁ,
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,
2 yato rātrau yādṛk taskarastādṛk prabho rdinam upasthāsyatīti yūyaṁ svayameva samyag jānītha|
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].
3 śānti rnirvvinghatvañca vidyata iti yadā mānavā vadiṣyanti tadā prasavavedanā yadvad garbbhinīm upatiṣṭhati tadvad akasmād vināśastān upasthāsyati tairuddhāro na lapsyate|
[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].
4 kintu he bhrātaraḥ, yūyam andhakāreṇāvṛtā na bhavatha tasmāt taddinaṁ taskara iva yuṣmān na prāpsyati|
[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].
5 sarvve yūyaṁ dīpteḥ santānā divāyāśca santānā bhavatha vayaṁ niśāvaṁśāstimiravaṁśā vā na bhavāmaḥ|
6 ato 'pare yathā nidrāgatāḥ santi tadvad asmābhi rna bhavitavyaṁ kintu jāgaritavyaṁ sacetanaiśca bhavitavyaṁ|
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].
7 ye nidrānti te niśāyāmeva nidrānti te ca mattā bhavanti te rajanyāmeva mattā bhavanti|
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.
8 kintu vayaṁ divasasya vaṁśā bhavāmaḥ; ato 'smābhi rvakṣasi pratyayapremarūpaṁ kavacaṁ śirasi ca paritrāṇāśārūpaṁ śirastraṁ paridhāya sacetanai rbhavitavyaṁ|
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].
9 yata īśvaro'smān krodhe na niyujyāsmākaṁ prabhunā yīśukhrīṣṭena paritrāṇasyādhikāre niyuktavān,
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].
10 jāgrato nidrāgatā vā vayaṁ yat tena prabhunā saha jīvāmastadarthaṁ so'smākaṁ kṛte prāṇān tyaktavān|
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].
11 ataeva yūyaṁ yadvat kurutha tadvat parasparaṁ sāntvayata susthirīkurudhvañca|
Because [you know that this is true], continue to encourage/comfort each other, as indeed you now are doing.
12 he bhrātaraḥ, yuṣmākaṁ madhye ye janāḥ pariśramaṁ kurvvanti prabho rnāmnā yuṣmān adhitiṣṭhantyupadiśanti ca tān yūyaṁ sammanyadhvaṁ|
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]).
13 svakarmmahetunā ca premnā tān atīvādṛyadhvamiti mama prārthanā, yūyaṁ parasparaṁ nirvvirodhā bhavata|
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.
14 he bhrātaraḥ, yuṣmān vinayāmahe yūyam avihitācāriṇo lokān bhartsayadhvaṁ, kṣudramanasaḥ sāntvayata, durbbalān upakuruta, sarvvān prati sahiṣṇavo bhavata ca|
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.
15 aparaṁ kamapi pratyaniṣṭasya phalam aniṣṭaṁ kenāpi yanna kriyeta tadarthaṁ sāvadhānā bhavata, kintu parasparaṁ sarvvān mānavāṁśca prati nityaṁ hitācāriṇo bhavata|
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.
Be joyful (at all times/always),
17 nirantaraṁ prārthanāṁ kurudhvaṁ|
pray continually,
18 sarvvaviṣaye kṛtajñatāṁ svīkurudhvaṁ yata etadeva khrīṣṭayīśunā yuṣmān prati prakāśitam īśvarābhimataṁ|
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).
19 pavitram ātmānaṁ na nirvvāpayata|
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]!
20 īśvarīyādeśaṁ nāvajānīta|
[Specifically], do not despise messages that the Holy Spirit reveals to someone, [and reject them automatically].
21 sarvvāṇi parīkṣya yad bhadraṁ tadeva dhārayata|
On the contrary, evaluate all [such messages]. Accept the [messages that are truly from God, and obey them].
22 yat kimapi pāparūpaṁ bhavati tasmād dūraṁ tiṣṭhata|
Do not obey any kind of evil [message].
23 śāntidāyaka īśvaraḥ svayaṁ yuṣmān sampūrṇatvena pavitrān karotu, aparam asmatprabho ryīśukhrīṣṭasyāgamanaṁ yāvad yuṣmākam ātmānaḥ prāṇāḥ śarīrāṇi ca nikhilāni nirddoṣatvena rakṣyantāṁ|
[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].
24 yo yuṣmān āhvayati sa viśvasanīyo'taḥ sa tat sādhayiṣyati|
[Because God] has invited you [to be his people, you can] certainly trust him to keep on helping you to do that.
25 he bhrātaraḥ, asmākaṁ kṛte prārthanāṁ kurudhvaṁ|
My fellow believers, pray for me and for Silas and for Timothy.
26 pavitracumbanena sarvvān bhrātṛn prati satkurudhvaṁ|
[When you gather together as believers], greet each other affectionately, as fellow believers [should].
27 patramidaṁ sarvveṣāṁ pavitrāṇāṁ bhrātṛṇāṁ śrutigocare yuṣmābhiḥ paṭhyatāmiti prabho rnāmnā yuṣmān śapayāmi|
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].
28 asmākaṁ prabho ryīśukhrīṣṭasyānugrate yuṣmāsu bhūyāt| āmen|
[I pray that] our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to act] kindly toward you all.