1 C hristian brothers, we ask you, because of the Lord Jesus, to keep on living in a way that will please God. I have already told you how to grow in the Christian life.

Finally 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.

2 T he Lord Jesus gave us the right and the power to tell you what to do.

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

3 G od wants you to be holy. You must keep away from sex sins.

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

4 G od wants each of you to use his body in the right way by keeping it holy and by respecting it.

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

5 Y ou should not use it to please your own desires like the people who do not know God.

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

6 N o man should do wrong to his Christian brother in anything. The Lord will punish a person who does. I have told you this before.

that 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.

7 F or God has not called us to live in sin. He has called us to live a holy life.

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

8 T he one who turns away from this teaching does not turn away from man, but from God. It is God Who has given us His Holy Spirit.

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

9 Y ou do not need anyone to write to you about loving your Christian brothers. God has taught you to love each other.

But 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;

10 Y ou love all the Christians in all the country of Macedonia. But we ask you to love them even more.

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

11 D o your best to live a quiet life. Learn to do your own work well. We told you about this before.

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

12 B y doing this, you will be respected by those who are not Christians. Then you will not be in need and others will not have to help you. The Lord Is Coming Again

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

13 C hristian brothers, we want you to know for sure about those who have died. You have no reason to have sorrow as those who have no hope.

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

14 W e believe that Jesus died and then came to life again. Because we believe this, we know that God will bring to life again all those who belong to Jesus.

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

15 W e tell you this as it came from the Lord. Those of us who are alive when the Lord comes again will not go ahead of those who have died.

For 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.

16 F or the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud call. The head angel will speak with a loud voice. God’s horn will give its sounds. First, those who belong to Christ will come out of their graves to meet the Lord.

For 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;

17 T hen, those of us who are still living here on earth will be gathered together with them in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the sky and be with Him forever.

then 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.

18 B ecause of this, comfort each other with these words.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.