1 Thessalonians 2:15–4:18

15 sWho both killed the Lord Jesus, and ttheir own prophets, and have ||persecuted us; and uthey please not God, and ware contrary to all men: 16 xForbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, yto fill up their sins alway: for zthe wrath ais come upon them bto the uttermost.

17 But we, brethren, cbeing taken from you dfor a short time ein presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly fto see your face with great desire. 18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but gSatan hhindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or ijoy, or icrown of ||krejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ lat his coming? 20 For ye are our glory and joy.

3 Wherefore awhen we could no longer bforbear, cwe thought it good to be left at Athens alone; 2 And sent cdTimotheus, ccour brother, and minister of God, and our defellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, fto establish you, and to gcomfort you concerning your faith: 3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that hwe are appointed thereunto. 4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before hthat we should suffer tribulation; even as iit came to pass, and ye know. 5 For this cause, awhen I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means kthe tempter lhave tempted you, and mour labour be in vain. 6 But now nwhen Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of oyour faith and charity, and pthat ye have good remembrance of us always, qdesiring greatly to see us, as qwe also to see you: 7 Therefore, brethren, rwe were gcomforted over you in all our affliction and sdistress by your faith: 8 For now twe live, if ye ustand fast in the Lord. 9 For wwhat thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; 10 xNight and day xypraying exceedingly zthat we might see your face, and amight perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11 Now God himself band our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, ||cdirect our way unto you. 12 And the Lord dmake you to increase and abound ein love fone toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13 To the end he may gstablish your hearts hunblameable in holiness before God, beven our Father, iat the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ kwith all his saints.

4 aFurthermore then we ||bbeseech you, brethren, and ||cexhort you by the Lord Jesus, that das ye have received of us ehow ye ought to walk and fto please God, so ye would gabound more and more. 2 For ye know dwhat commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is hthe will of God, even your isanctification, kthat ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how lto possess mhis vessel in isanctification and nhonour; 5 Not in othe lust of oconcupiscence, even pas the Gentiles qwhich know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and ||defraud rhis brother ||in any matter: because that the Lord sis the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and ttestified. 7 For God uhath not called us unto wuncleanness, but xunto iholiness. 8 yHe therefore that ||despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, zwho hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 But as touching abrotherly love bye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves bbare taught of God cto love one another. 10 And indeed dye do it toward all the brethren which are in all eMacedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye fincrease more and more; 11 And that ye gstudy hto be quiet, and ito do kyour own business, and lto work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 mThat ye may walk mnhonestly toward othem that are without, and that ye may have lack ||of nothing.

13 But pI would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning qthem which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, reven as others swhich have no hope. 14 For tif we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so quthem also which sleep in Jesus wwill God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you xby the word of the Lord, that ywe which are alive and remain unto zthe coming of the Lord shall not aprevent qthem which are asleep. 16 For bthe Lord himself shall descend cfrom heaven with a shout, with the voice of dthe archangel, and with ethe trump of God: and fthe dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then gwe which are alive and remain shall be hcaught up together with them iin the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so kshall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore ||lcomfort one another with these words.