1 Thessalonians 4

1And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.

1For the rest, then, brethren, we beg you and exhort you in [the] Lord Jesus, even as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and pleaseGod, even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more.

2Because you have in mind the orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

2For ye know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;

3For this is [the] will ofGod, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication;

4So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour;

4that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour,

5Not in the passion of evil desires, like the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of God;

5(not in passionate desire, even as the nations who know notGod,)

6And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.

6not overstepping the rights of and wronging his brother in the matter, because the Lord [is] the avenger of all these things, even as we also told you before, and have fully testified.

7Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.

7ForGod has not called us to uncleanness, but in sanctification.

8Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

8He therefore that [in this] disregards [his brother], disregards, not man, butGod, who has given also his Holy Spirit to you.

9But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary;

9Now concerning brotherly love ye have no need that we should write to you, for ye yourselves are taught ofGod to love one another.

10And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;

10For also ye do this towards all the brethren in the whole of Macedonia; but we exhort you, brethren, to abound still more,

11And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;

11and to seek earnestly to be quiet and mind your own affairs, and work with your [own] hands, even as we charged you,

12That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

12that ye may walk reputably towards those without, and may have need of no one.

13But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.

13But we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are fallen asleep, to the end that ye be not grieved even as also the rest who have no hope.

14For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

14For if we believe that Jesus has died and has risen again, so alsoGod will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.

15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.

15(For this we say to you in [the] word of [the] Lord, that we, the living, who remain to the coming of the Lord, are in no way to anticipate those who have fallen asleep;

16Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first;

16for the Lord himself, with an assembling shout, with archangel's voice and with trump ofGod, shall descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

17Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord.

17then we, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in [the] clouds, to meet the Lord in [the] air; and thus we shall be always with [the] Lord.

18So then, give comfort to one another with these words.

18So encourage one another with these words.)