1 F inally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk, --that ye abound more and more.

Furthermore, brethren, we beg and admonish you in the Lord Jesus, that you learned from us about how you ought to walk so as to please and gratify God, as indeed you are doing, that you do so even more and more abundantly.

2 F or ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For you know what charges and precepts we gave you '> on the authority and by the inspiration of] the Lord Jesus.

3 F or this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;

For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated (separated and set apart for pure and holy living): that you should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice,

4 t hat each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

That each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration (purity, separated from things profane) and honor,

5 n ot in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God;

Not in the passion of lust like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will,

6 t hat no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

That no man transgress and overreach his brother and defraud him in this matter or defraud his brother in business. For the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we have already warned you solemnly and told you plainly.

7 F or God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

For God has not called us to impurity but to consecration.

8 T herefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.

Therefore whoever disregards (sets aside and rejects this) disregards not man but God, Whose Spirit He gives to you is holy (chaste, pure).

9 B ut concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need to have anyone write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

10 f or indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more;

And indeed you already are to all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we beseech and earnestly exhort you, brethren, that you excel more and more,

11 a nd that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you;

To make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you,

12 t hat ye may walk becomingly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.

So that you may bear yourselves becomingly and be correct and honorable and command the respect of the outside world, being dependent on nobody and having need of nothing.

13 B ut we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope.

Now also we would not have you ignorant, brethren, about those who fall asleep '> in death], that you may not grieve as the rest do who have no hope.

14 F or if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him through Jesus those who have fallen asleep '> in death].

15 F or this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep.

For this we declare to you by the Lord’s word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep '> in death].

16 F or the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first.

17 t hen we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Then we, the living ones who remain, shall simultaneously be caught up along with in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord!

18 W herefore comfort one another with these words.

Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words.