1 Thessalonians 4:1–5:28

Plea for Purity

4Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus ^athat you should abound more and more, ^bjust as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; ²for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

³For this is ^cthe will of God, ^dyour sanctification: ^ethat you should abstain from sexual immorality; ^4fthat each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ^5gnot in passion of lust, ^hlike the Gentiles ⁱwho do not know God; ⁶that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord ^jis the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷For God did not call us to uncleanness, ^kbut in holiness. ^8lTherefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, ^mwho ¹has also given us His Holy Spirit.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

⁹But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for ⁿyou yourselves are taught by God ^oto love one another; ¹⁰and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, ^pthat you increase more and more; ¹¹that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, ^qto mind your own business, and ^rto work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ^12sthat you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, ²lest you sorrow ^tas others ^uwho have no hope. ¹⁴For ^vif we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him ^wthose who ³sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵For this we say to you ^xby the word of the Lord, that ^ywe who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ⁴asleep. ¹⁶For ^zthe Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^athe trumpet of God. ^bAnd the dead in Christ will rise first. ^17cThen we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them ^din the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ^ewe shall always be with the Lord. ^18fTherefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5But concerning ^athe times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ²For you yourselves know perfectly that ^bthe day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then ^csudden destruction comes upon them, ^das labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ^4eBut you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵You are all ^fsons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ^6gTherefore let us not sleep, as others do, but ^hlet us watch and be ¹sober. ⁷For ⁱthose who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk ^jare drunk at night. ⁸But let us who are of the day be sober, ^kputting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹For ^lGod did not appoint us to wrath, ^mbut to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ⁿwho died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

¹¹Therefore ²comfort each other and ³edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Various Exhortations

¹²And we urge you, brethren, ^oto recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and ⁴admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. ^pBe at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴Now we ⁵exhort you, brethren, ^qwarn those who are ⁶unruly, ^rcomfort the fainthearted, ^suphold the weak, ^tbe patient with all. ^15uSee that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always ^vpursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

^16wRejoice always, ^17xpray without ceasing, ¹⁸in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

^19yDo not quench the Spirit. ^20zDo not despise prophecies. ^21aTest all things; ^bhold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

Blessing and Admonition

²³Now may ^cthe God of peace Himself ^dsanctify ⁷you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body ^ebe preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴He who calls you is ^ffaithful, who also will ^gdo it.

²⁵Brethren, pray for us.

²⁶Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

²⁷I charge you by the Lord that this ⁸epistle be read to all the ⁹holy brethren.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.