The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

As to the rest, then, brothers, we request, and call on you in the Lord Jesus, as you received from us how it is necessary for you to walk and to please God, that you may abound the more,

for you have known what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus;

for this is the will of God—your sanctification: that you abstain from the whoredom,

that each of you know to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

not in the affection of desire, as also the nations that were not knowing God,

that no one goes beyond and defrauds his brother in the matter, because the LORD [is] an avenger of all these, as we also spoke to you before and testified,

for God did not call us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.

He, therefore, who is despising, does not despise man, but God, who also gave His Holy Spirit to us.

And concerning the brotherly love, you have no need of [my] writing to you, for you yourselves are God-taught to love one another,

for you do it also to all the brothers who [are] in all Macedonia; and we call on you, brothers, to abound still more,

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

that you may walk properly to those outside, and may have lack of nothing.

The Return of the Lord

And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you may not sorrow, as also the rest who have no hope,

for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God will bring with Him those asleep through Jesus,

for we say this to you in the word of the LORD, that we who are living—who remain over to the coming of the LORD—may not precede those asleep,

because the LORD Himself, with a shout, with the voice of a chief-messenger, and with the trumpet of God, will come down from Heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first;

then we who are living, who are remaining over, will be snatched up together with them in [the] clouds to meet the LORD in [the] air, and so we will always be with the LORD;

so, then, comfort one another with these words.

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.

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

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

that each one of you know how to control his own body

(a)

in sanctification and honor,

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

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.

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

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

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

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;

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,

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

The Return of the Lord

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.

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

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 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,

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.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Footnotes

(a)4:4 literally, possess his own vessel