THE CALL TO SANCTIFICATION

4 Additionally then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received instruction from us on how you should live and please God—as you are doingD—do this even more. 2 For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is God’s will,ab your sanctification:ac that you keep awayad from sexual immorality, 4 that each of you knows how to control his own bodyE in holiness and honor, 5 not with lustful passions,ae like the Gentiles, who don’t know God. 6 This means one must not transgress against and take advantageaf of a brother or sister in this manner, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. 7 For God has not called us to impurityag but to live in holiness. 8 Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.ah

LOVING AND WORKING

9 About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by Godai to love one another.aj 10 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia.ak But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, 11 to seek to lead a quiet life,al to mind your own business,F and to workam with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 so that you may behave properlyan in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.G,ao

THE COMFORT OF CHRIST’S COMING

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.ap 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and roseaq again,ar in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.as 15 For we say this to you by a word from the Lord:at We who are still alive at the Lord’s comingau will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.av 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,A,a with the archangel’sb voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christc will rise first. 17 Thend we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the cloudse to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourageB one another with these words.

THE DAY OF THE LORD

5 About the times and the seasons:f Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lordg will come just like a thiefh in the night. 3 When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destructioni will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief.j 5 For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.k 6 So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlledl and put on the armorm of faith and love, and a helmetn of the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lordo Jesus Christ,p 10 who died for us,q so that whether we are awake or asleep,r we may live together with him.s 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

EXHORTATIONS AND BLESSINGS

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to give recognitiont to those who labor among you and lead youC in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to regard them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peaceu among yourselves. 14 And we exhort you, brothers and sisters:v warn those who are idle,D comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patientw with everyone. 15 See to it that no one repays evil for evilx to anyone,y but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.z 16 Rejoiceaa always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s willab for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t stifle the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things.ac Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay awayad from every kind of evil.

23 Now may the God of peaceae himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit,af soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the comingag of our Lordah Jesus Christ.ai 24 He who callsaj youak is faithful; he will do it. 25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us also. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters.al 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

2 THESSALONIANS