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, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.

2 F or you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

For you know what instructions 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 abstain from sexual immorality,

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

that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,

5 n ot in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t 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 wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.

7 F or God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

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 doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

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 one 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,

for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound 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,

and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed 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 may have need of nothing.

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 we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, 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 have fallen asleep 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 tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen 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 the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. 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, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.

18 T herefore comfort one another with these words.

Therefore comfort one another with these words.