5Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you, ²for you yourselves well know that the day of the Lord is coming in the same way as a thief in the night. ³Whenever they say “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will overtake them like the birth pains of a pregnant woman^a, and they will not possibly escape. ⁴But you, brothers, are not in the darkness, so that the day should catch you like a thief, ⁵for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

⁶So then, we must not sleep like the rest, but must be on the alert and be self-controlled. ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. ⁸But because^b we are of the day, we must be sober, by^c putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation, ⁹because God did not appoint us for wrath, but for the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live at the same time with him. ¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build up each other^d, just as indeed you are doing.

Final Exhortations and Benediction

¹²Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and rule over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them beyond all measure in love, because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, console the discouraged, help the sick, be patient toward all people. ¹⁵See to it that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue good toward^b one another and toward all people.

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray constantly, ¹⁸give thanks in everything; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies, ²¹but examine all things; hold fast to what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil. ²³Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, who also will do this.

²⁵Brothers, pray for us.^c ²⁶Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. ²⁷I adjure you by the Lord, have this letter read aloud to all the brothers. ²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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Footnotes

aLiterally “one who has in the belly”
bHere “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as causal
cHere “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“putting on”) which is understood as means
dLiterally “one the one,” i.e., “one the other”
bSome manuscripts have “both toward”
cSome manuscripts have “pray for us also”