1 Thessaloniciens 5
1 Pour ce qui est des temps et des moments, vous n’avez pas besoin, frères, qu’on vous en écrive.
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 Car vous savez bien vous-mêmes que le jour du Seigneur viendra comme un voleur dans la nuit.
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 Quand les hommes diront: Paix et sûreté! Alors une ruine soudaine les surprendra, comme les douleurs de l’enfantement surprennent la femme enceinte, et ils n’échapperont point.
[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 Mais vous, frères, vous n’êtes pas dans les ténèbres, pour que ce jour vous surprenne comme un voleur;
[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 vous êtes tous des enfants de la lumière et des enfants du jour. Nous ne sommes point de la nuit ni des ténèbres.
6 Ne dormons donc point comme les autres, mais veillons et soyons sobres.
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 Car ceux qui dorment dorment la nuit, et ceux qui s’enivrent s’enivrent la nuit.
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 Mais nous qui sommes du jour, soyons sobres, ayant revêtu la cuirasse de la foi et de la charité, et ayant pour casque l’espérance du salut.
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 Car Dieu ne nous a pas destinés à la colère, mais à l’acquisition du salut par notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ,
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 qui est mort pour nous, afin que, soit que nous veillions, soit que nous dormions, nous vivions ensemble avec lui.
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 C’est pourquoi exhortez-vous réciproquement, et édifiez-vous les uns les autres, comme en réalité vous le faites.
Because [you know that this is true], continue to encourage/comfort each other, as indeed you now are doing.
12 Nous vous prions, frères, d’avoir de la considération pour ceux qui travaillent parmi vous, qui vous dirigent dans le Seigneur, et qui vous exhortent.
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 Ayez pour eux beaucoup d’affection, à cause de leur œuvre. Soyez en paix entre vous.
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 Nous vous en prions aussi, frères, avertissez ceux qui vivent dans le désordre, consolez ceux qui sont abattus, supportez les faibles, usez de patience envers tous.
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 Prenez garde que personne ne rende à autrui le mal pour le mal; mais poursuivez toujours le bien, soit entre vous, soit envers tous.
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 Soyez toujours joyeux.
Be joyful (at all times/always),
17 Priez sans cesse.
pray continually,
18 Rendez grâces en toutes choses, car c’est à votre égard la volonté de Dieu en Jésus-Christ.
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 N’éteignez pas l’Esprit.
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 Ne méprisez pas les prophéties.
[Specifically], do not despise messages that the Holy Spirit reveals to someone, [and reject them automatically].
21 Mais examinez toutes choses; retenez ce qui est bon;
On the contrary, evaluate all [such messages]. Accept the [messages that are truly from God, and obey them].
22 abstenez-vous de toute espèce de mal.
Do not obey any kind of evil [message].
23 Que le Dieu de paix vous sanctifie lui-même tout entiers, et que tout votre être, l’esprit, l’âme et le corps, soit conservé irrépréhensible, lors de l’avènement de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ!
[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 Celui qui vous a appelés est fidèle, et c’est lui qui le fera.
[Because God] has invited you [to be his people, you can] certainly trust him to keep on helping you to do that.
25 Frères, priez pour nous.
My fellow believers, pray for me and for Silas and for Timothy.
26 Saluez tous les frères par un saint baiser.
[When you gather together as believers], greet each other affectionately, as fellow believers [should].
27 Je vous en conjure par le Seigneur, que cette lettre soit lue à tous les frères.
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 grâce de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ soit avec vous!
[I pray that] our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to act] kindly toward you all.
