A Life Pleasing to God

Finally, then, brothers,[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you (A)received from us (B)how you ought to walk and (C)to please God, just as you are doing, that you (D)do so more and more. For (E)you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, (F)your sanctification:[b] (G)that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own (H)body[c] in holiness and (I)honor, not in (J)the passion of lust (K)like the Gentiles (L)who do not know God; that no one transgress and (M)wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is (N)an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For (O)God has not called us for (P)impurity, but in holiness. Therefore (Q)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, (R)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now concerning (S)brotherly love (T)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been (U)taught by God (V)to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what (W)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to (X)do this more and more, 11 and to aspire (Y)to live quietly, and (Z)to mind your own affairs, and (AA)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may (AB)walk properly before (AC)outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, (AD)that you may not grieve as others do (AE)who have no hope. 14 For (AF)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him (AG)those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you (AH)by a word from the Lord,[d] that (AI)we who are alive, who are left until (AJ)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For (AK)the Lord himself will descend (AL)from heaven (AM)with a cry of command, with the voice of (AN)an archangel, and (AO)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And (AP)the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be (AQ)caught up together with them (AR)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so (AS)we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 10, 13
  2. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Or your holiness
  3. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or how to take a wife for himself; Greek how to possess his own vessel
  4. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Or by the word of the Lord

Finally loipos, then oun, brothers adelphos, we ask erōtaō and kai urge parakaleō you hymeis in en the Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous, that hina as kathōs you received paralambanō from para us hēmeis how pōs you hymeis ought dei to live peripateō so as kai to please areskō God theos ( even as kathōs · kai you are doing peripateō), that hina you do so more perisseuō and more mallon. For gar you know oida what tis commands parangelia we gave didōmi you hymeis by dia the authority of the ho Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous.

For gar this houtos is eimi the will thelēma of ho God theos · ho your hymeis sanctification hagiasmos: that you hymeis abstain apechō from apo · ho sexual porneia immorality , that each hekastos of you hymeis learn oida how to maintain control over ktaomai · ho his own heautou vessel skeuos in en holiness hagiasmos and kai honor timē, not with en the passion pathos of lust epithumia, like kathaper · kai the ho Gentiles ethnos who ho do not know oida · ho God theos. No one should sin against hyperbainō or kai take advantage of pleonekteō his autos brother adelphos in en this ho matter pragma, · ho because dioti the Lord kyrios is the avenger ekdikos in peri all pas these houtos things , as kathōs indeed kai we told you hymeis beforehand with kai solemn warning diamartyromai. For gar God theos has not ou called kaleō us hēmeis · ho for epi impurity akatharsia, but alla in en holiness hagiasmos. Consequently toigaroun the ho one who rejects atheteō this is atheteō not ou rejecting atheteō man anthrōpos, but alla · ho God theos, who ho also kai has given didōmi · ho his autos Holy hagios Spirit pneuma · ho to eis you hymeis.

Now de with regard to peri · ho brotherly love philadelphia you have echō no ou need chreia for us to write graphō to you hymeis, for gar you hymeis yourselves autos have been eimi taught by God theodidaktos how eis to love agapaō one another allēlōn. 10 Indeed kai gar you do poieō show love autos toward eis all pas the ho brothers adelphos · ho throughout en holos · ho Macedonia Makedonia, but de we urge parakaleō you hymeis, brothers adelphos, to do so more perisseuō and more mallon. 11 · kai Make it your aim philotimeomai to lead a quiet life hēsychazō, · kai to attend to prassō · ho your own idios affairs , and kai to work ergazomai with ho your hymeis own idios hands cheir, as kathōs we commanded parangellō you hymeis. 12 In this way hina you will live peripateō a proper euschēmonōs life before pros · ho outsiders exō and kai be echō dependent on chreia no one mēdeis.

13 Now de we do not ou want thelō you hymeis to be uninformed agnoeō, brothers adelphos, about peri those ho who are asleep koimaō, so that hina you will not grieve lypeō as kathōs · kai · ho others loipos do who ho have echō no hope elpis. 14 For gar if ei we believe pisteuō that hoti Jesus Iēsous died apothnēskō and kai rose again anistēmi, so houtōs also kai do we believe that · ho God theos will bring agō with syn him autos those ho who have fallen asleep koimaō in dia · ho Jesus Iēsous.

15 For gar this houtos we say legō to you hymeis by en the word logos of the Lord kyrios, that hoti we hēmeis who ho are alive zaō, who ho remain behind perileipomai until eis the ho coming parousia of the ho Lord kyrios, will by no means ou precede phthanō those ho who have fallen asleep koimaō, 16 because hoti the ho Lord kyrios himself autos will descend katabainō from apo heaven ouranos with en a cry of command keleusma, with en the voice phōnē of an archangel archangelos, and kai with en the trumpet salpinx of God theos, and kai the ho dead nekros in en Christ Christos will rise anistēmi first prōton. 17 Then epeita we hēmeis who ho are alive zaō, who ho remain behind perileipomai, will be caught up harpazō in en the clouds nephelē together hama with syn them autos to eis meet apantēsis the ho Lord kyrios in eis the air aēr. And kai so houtōs we will be eimi forever pantote with syn the Lord kyrios. 18 So hōste encourage parakaleō one another allēlōn with en · ho these houtos words logos.