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.

Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;

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

for you know what commandments we gave you through 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, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

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

that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

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

not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

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 one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.

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

For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

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

Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. A Brotherly and Orderly Life

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 that I should write to you, for you yourselves are 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 do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase 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;

that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,

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

that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

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.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others 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 if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

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 say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

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 shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead 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 who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

18 W herefore comfort one another with these words.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.