1 Thessalonians 4

1 Therefore, concerning other things, brothers, we ask and beg you, in the Lord Jesus, that, just as you have received from us the way in which you ought to walk and to please God, so also may you walk, in order that you may abound all the more.2 For you know what precepts I have given to you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication,4 that each one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,5 not in passions of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God,6 and that no one should overwhelm or circumvent his brother in business. For the Lord is the vindicator of all these things, just as we have preached and testified to you.7 For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.8 And so, whoever despises these teachings, does not despise man, but God, who has even provided his Holy Spirit within us.9 But concerning the charity of brotherhood, we have no need to write to you. For you yourselves have learned from God that you should love one another.10 For indeed, you act in this way with all the brothers in all of Macedonia. But we petition you, brothers, so that you may abound all the more,11 to choose work that allows you to be tranquil, and to carry out your business and to do your work with your own hands, just as we have instructed you,12 and to walk honestly with those who are outside, and to desire nothing belonging to another.13 And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him.15 For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first.17 Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always.18 Therefore, console one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4

A Life Pleasing to God

1 Finally then, brothers and sisters,t we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about hows you must live and please God (as you are in fact living)s that you do so more and more.2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is God’s will: that you become holy,t that you keep away from sexual immorality,4 that each of you know how to possess his own bodyt in holiness and honor,5 not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God.6 In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him,t because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases,t as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.7 For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.

8 Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authorityt but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now on the topic of brotherly lovet you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.10 And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisterst in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,s11 to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you.

12 In this way you will livet a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.t

The Lord Returns for Believers

13 Now we do not want you to be uninformed,t brothers and sisters,t about those who are asleep,t so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe thatt God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.t15 For we tell you this by the word of the Lord,s that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel,t and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive, who are left,s will be suddenly caught upt togethert with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.