1 Thessalonians 4
1 Now, my fellow believers, [I want to write] about some other matters. Because we all have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus, we(exc) strongly urge you [DOU] to live in a way that pleases God. We taught you to do that, and you know that we lived that way as a result of what the Lord Jesus [told us]. We know that you are conducting your lives that way, but [we strongly urge] that you do that even more.
Overigens broeders, bidden en smeken we u in den Heer Jesus, dat gij nog meer moogt uitmunten in uw levenswandel en in het behagen aan God, zoals gij dat van ons hebt geleerd, en zoals gij dat feitelijk reeds betracht.
Gij weet toch wel, welke voorschriften we u uit naam van den Heer Jesus hebben gegeven.
3 God wants you to live pure lives that will show that you completely belong to him. He wants you to avoid doing any sexually immoral acts (OR, avoid being sexually immoral in any way).
Want dit is Gods wil, uw heiliging: dat gij u namelijk van ontucht onthoudt;
4 [That is, he wants] each one of you to know how to control your own sexual desires [EUP]. He wants you to live pure lives that all people will see as good.
dat ieder van u zijn eigen vrouw weet te verwerven in heiligheid en eerbaarheid,
5 You must not lustfully desire [to do] immoral acts as unbelievers [MTY] [do] who do not obey God.
niet in hartstochtelijke begeerlijkheid, zoals de heidenen, die God niet kennen;
6 [God wants each one of you to control your sexual desires, in order that] no one of you sin against your fellow believer and take advantage of him or her by doing things like that. Remember that we strongly warned you previously [DOU] that the Lord [Jesus] will punish all [people who do] sexually immoral acts.
dat niemand zich te buiten gaat, en in deze aangelegenheid zijn broeder bedriegt. Want de Heer is de Wreker van al deze dingen, zoals we het vroeger hebben gezegd en voortdurend betuigd.
7 When God chose us [believers], he did not want us to [be people who] behave in a sexually immoral way. On the contrary, [he wants us] to be [people who] behave in a morally pure way.
Want God heeft ons niet tot onreinheid geroepen, maar tot heiligheid.
8 So I warn you that those who disregard [this teaching] of mine [are] not just disregarding me. On the contrary, [they are disregarding] God, [because God commanded it. Remember that] God sent his Spirit, who is holy, [to live] in you!
Wie dit dus veracht, veracht niet een mens, maar God zelf, die ook aan u zijn heiligen Geest heeft geschonken.
9 [I want to urge you] again [that you should] love [your] fellow believers [MET]. You do not really need that [anyone] write to you about that, because God has already taught you [how] to love each other,
Over de broederliefde is het niet nodig, u te schrijven. Want zelf hebt gij van God geleerd, elkander lief te hebben; en gij doet het ook tegenover alle broeders in heel Macedonië.
10 and because you already are [showing that you love] your fellow believers [HYP] [who live] in other places [in your province] of Macedonia. Nevertheless, my fellow believers, we urge you to [love each other] even more.
Maar we vermanen u, broeders, om nog meer uit te munten,
11 [We urge you] also to eagerly strive/try to mind your own affairs and to not meddle/interfere with the affairs of others. We urge you also to work at your own occupations/jobs [to earn what you need to live]. Remember that we taught you previously to live like that.
en er zelfs een eer in te stellen, om rustig te leven, u met uw eigen zaken te bemoeien, en zelf de handen aan het werk te slaan, zoals we u dat geboden hebben.
12 If you do these things, unbelievers will acknowledge/see that you behave decently/properly, and you will not have to depend on others [to] ([supply/give to you]) [what you need].
Zo toch gedraagt gij u behoorlijk voor hen, die buiten staan, en hebt gij van niemand iets nodig.
13 My fellow believers, we also want you to understand well [LIT] [what will happen] to our fellow believers [who now] are dead [EUP]. [You must not be/do like] the unbelievers. They [grieve deeply for people who die because] they do not confidently expect [people to live again after they die].
Broeders, wij willen u niet in onwetendheid laten over hen die ontslapen zijn, opdat gij niet treurt als de anderen, die geen hoop meer bezitten.
14 We [believers] know that it is true that Jesus died and that he came back [to life] again. So [we also know well that] when Jesus returns, God [will cause] those [believers] who died [EUP] [to live again] and to come with [Jesus].
Want zo wij geloven, dat Jesus gestorven is en verrezen, dan geloven wij ook, dat God hen, die in Jesus ontsliepen, zal terugvoeren met Hem.
15 [I write this] because the Lord [Jesus] revealed [to me] what I am now telling you. [Some of you may think that] when the Lord [Jesus] comes back, he will consider that we [believers] who are still living will be superior to those [believers] who have died [EUP], because [we will meet Jesus first. That is certainly not true]!
Want dit zeggen wij u op ‘s Heren woord: Wij die leven en achter blijven tot ‘s Heren komst, wij zullen de ontslapenen zeer zeker niet vóór gaan.
16 It is the Lord [Jesus] himself who will descend from heaven. [When he comes down, he] will command all of [us believers to rise from their graves]. The chief angel will shout [loudly], and [another angel] will blow a trumpet for God. Then (OR, As a result), the first thing that will happen is that the people who [trusted] in Christ before they died will live again.
Want op een teken, op het geroep van den Aartsengel en de bazuinstoot van God, zal de Heer zelf uit de hemel nederdalen, en allereerst zullen zij verrijzen, die stierven in Christus;
17 After that, [God] will powerfully take up into the clouds all of us [believers] who are still living [on this earth]. [He will take us] and those [other believers who have died], in order that [we all] might together meet/welcome the Lord [Jesus] in the sky. As a result of that, we [all] will be with him forever.
eerst dan zullen wij, die leven en achterblijven, tezamen met hen worden weggevoerd op de wolken, den Heer tegemoet in de lucht. En zó zullen wij altijd bij den Heer blijven.
18 Because [all this is true], encourage/comfort each other by reminding each other of this teaching.
Vertroost dus elkander met deze woorden.
