1 Tesalonicenses 5
1 Hermanos y hermanas, no necesitamos escribirles sobre los tiempos proféticos y las fechas.
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 Ustedes mismos saben bien que el día del Señor vendrá como un ladrón en la noche.
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 Cuando la gente hable de paz y seguridad, de repente vendrá destrucción sobre ellos. Será como el inicio repentino de los dolores de parto, y ciertamente no escaparán.
[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 Pero ustedes, hermanos y hermanas, no están en tinieblas respecto a esto, de modo que no serán tomados por sorpresa cuando venga como ladrón en el Día del Juicio.
[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 Porque ustedes son todos hijos de la luz e hijos del día. No pertenecemos a la noche ni a las tinieblas.
6 De modo que no deberíamos estar durmiendo como todos los demás, sino que debemos permanecer despiertos y mantener nuestra mente lúcida.
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 Porque en la noche es cuando la gente duerme; y es en la noche que se emborrachan.
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 Pero como nosotros pertenecemos al día, debemos mantener nuestras mentes limpias, ceñidos con la coraza de fe y amor, y usando como casco la esperanza de la salvación.
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 Porque Dios no nos ha puesto en sitio de castigo, sino que nos ha reservado para salvación por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.
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 Él es quien murió por nosotros para que, ya sea que vivamos o muramos, podamos vivir con él.
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 Así que anímense y fortalézcanse unos a otros, como lo han venido haciendo.
Because [you know that this is true], continue to encourage/comfort each other, as indeed you now are doing.
12 Hermanos y hermanas, les pedimos que respeten a los que están con ustedes, a quienes los guían en el Señor y les enseñan.
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 Deben valorarlos grandemente en amor por la obra que hacen. Vivan en paz unos con otros.
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 Los exhortamos, hermanos y hermanas, a que adviertan a los que son perezosos, animen a los que están ansiosos, ayuden a los débiles, y sean pacientes con todos.
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 Asegúrense de que ninguno de ustedes pague mal por mal, sino traten siempre de hacer el bien unos a otros.
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.
16 Estén siempre llenos de alegría,
Be joyful (at all times/always),
17 nunca dejen de orar,
pray continually,
18 estén agradecidos en todas las situaciones, porque esto es lo que Dios quiere que hagan en Cristo Jesús.
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 No refrenen al Espíritu,
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 no menosprecien la profecía,
[Specifically], do not despise messages that the Holy Spirit reveals to someone, [and reject them automatically].
21 asegúrense de comprobarlo todo. Aférrense a todo lo que sea bueno;
On the contrary, evaluate all [such messages]. Accept the [messages that are truly from God, and obey them].
22 y manténganse apartados de todo tipo de mal.
Do not obey any kind of evil [message].
23 Que el mismo Dios de paz los santifique por completo, y que todo su ser—cuerpo, mente y espíritu—permanezca irreprochable para el regreso de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.
[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 Aquél que los llama es fiel, y cumplirá.
[Because God] has invited you [to be his people, you can] certainly trust him to keep on helping you to do that.
25 Hermanos y hermanas, oren por nosotros.
My fellow believers, pray for me and for Silas and for Timothy.
26 Saluden a todos los creyentes de allí con afecto.
[When you gather together as believers], greet each other affectionately, as fellow believers [should].
27 Les pido, por medio del Señor, que esta carta sea leída a todos los creyentes.
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 Que la gracia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo esté con ustedes.
[I pray that] our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to act] kindly toward you all.
