1 Thessalonians 4

1 For the rest, brethren, we request and exhort you, in our Lord Jesus, [that], even as ye received from us, how ye must needs walk and please God, —even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more.

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort [you] by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, [so] ye would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what charges we gave you, through the Lord Jesus.

For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For, this, is a thing willed of God, your sanctification, —that ye should abstain from unchastity,

For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from lewdness.

4 That ye should know, each one of you, how, of his own vessel, to possess himself in sanctification and honour:

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor;

5 Not with a passion of coveting, —just as even the nations who know not God, —

Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God:

6 Not over-reaching and defrauding, in the matter, his brother; because, an avenger, is the Lord, concerning all these things, —even as we before told you, and solemnly called you to witness.

That no [man] go beyond and defraud his brother in [any] matter: because the Lord [is] the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7 For God did not call us, with a permission of impurity, but, in sanctification.

For God hath not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness.

8 Therefore, indeed, he that disregardeth—it is, not a man, he disregardeth, but God, —Who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given to us his holy Spirit.

9 But, concerning brotherly love—no need, have ye, that we be writing unto you; for, ye yourselves, are, God-taught, to the loving of one another; —

But concerning brotherly love ye need not that I write to you: for ye yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

10 And, in fact, ye are doing it unto all the brethren [who are] in the whole of Macedonia; but we exhort you, brethren, to abound still more,

And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren who are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

11 And to be ambitious to be quiet, and to be attending to your own affairs, and to be working with your hands, —even as, unto you, we gave charge—

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12 That ye should walk reputably toward those without, and, of no one, have, need.

That ye may walk honestly towards them that are without, and [that] ye may have need of nothing.

13 But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are falling asleep, —lest ye be sorrowing, even as the rest also, who are without hope;

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope.

14 For, if we believe that, Jesus, died, and rose again, so, also will, God, bring forth with him, them who have fallen asleep through Jesus;

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For, this, unto you, do we say, by a word of the Lord, —that, we, the living who are left unto the Presence of the Lord, shall in nowise get before them who have fallen asleep;

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [and] remain to the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep.

16 Because, the Lord himself, with a word of command, with a chief-messenger’s voice, and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven, —and, the dead in Christ, shall rise, first,

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 After that, we, the living who are left, together with them, shall be caught away, in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: —and, thus, evermore, with the Lord, shall we be!

Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 So then, be consoling one another with these words.

Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.