1 F inally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still 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 you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3 F or this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

4 t hat each of you know how to possess 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 lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

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

6 a nd that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.

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 has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

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

8 S o, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to 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 N ow as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by 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 you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still 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 to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded 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 s o that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need. Those Who Died in Christ

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 do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do 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 God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

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 to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have 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 will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will 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 who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always 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 T herefore comfort one another with these words.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.