1 Thessalonians 4

1 Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.

Finally then, brothers, we urge and exhort you in the Lord Jesus: as you received from us how you ought to behave and please God, do so even more

2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

—you know what instructions we gave you through Sovereign Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

Now this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you stay away from fornication;

4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,

that each of you know how to gain possession of his own ‘vessel’ in sanctification and honor,

5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God,

not in lustful passion (like the heathen who do not know God);

6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

that no one trespass and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such behavior, as, indeed, we have already told you and warned you.

7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Because God did not call us for uncleanness, but by holiness.

8 Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

So then, the rejecter is not rejecting man, but God, the very One who gave you His Holy Spirit.

9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,

Now about brotherly love you do not need to be written to, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,

10 for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;

because in fact you are doing so toward all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Still, we exhort you to do even more, brothers,

11 and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you,

to make it a point to be peaceable and to mind your own business, to work with your hands (as we instructed you),

12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

so that outsiders may be well impressed by your life style, and that you may have no lack.

13 But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

Now then, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who have ‘fallen asleep’, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

Because since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, just so will God bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

15 For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.

For this we say to you by a word of the Lord, that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will absolutely not precede those who have fallen asleep;

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,

because the Lord Himself—with a commanding shout, with the archangel's voice and with God's trumpet—will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first;

17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.

then we who are still alive, who are left, will be snatched up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air. In precisely this way we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

So then, comfort one another with these words.