Appeal For Continuing Sanctification
1 Finally then, brothers, we request and urge you, in [the fellowship of] the Lord, that you should live [dedicated lives] and please God. Just as you people received direction from us [on doing this], see that you [continue to] do it more and more.
1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
1 (A)Finally then, (B)brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to (a)(C)walk and (D)please God (just as you actually do (b)walk), that you (E)excel still more.
1 Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing(a)—do so even more.
1 Now then, brothers, you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, as in fact you are doing. We ask and encourage you in the Lord to do so even more.
3 For it is God's will that you should be dedicated to Him, [that is], you should avoid sexual immorality.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you (F)abstain from (d)sexual immorality;
3 For it is God's will that you be sanctified: You must abstain from sexual immorality.
6 And none of you should violate and exploit his brother [or sister] in such a matter. For the Lord will punish people for all these things, just as we told you before and warned you.
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
6 and that no man transgress and (L)defraud his brother (M)in the matter because (N)the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also (O)told you before and solemnly warned you.
6 This means one must not transgress against and defraud(E) his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses,(c) as we also previously told and warned you.
6 Furthermore, you must never take advantage of or exploit a brother in this regard, because the Lord avenges all these things, just as we already told you and warned you.
8 So, the person who rejects [this exhortation] is not [merely] rejecting what man says but God [Himself], who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
8 Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit.(G)
8 Therefore, whoever rejects this instruction is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Affirmation Of Continuing Love
9 Now you people do not need anyone to write to you about loving [your] brothers, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
9 Now as to the (S)love of the brethren, you (T)have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are (U)taught by God to love one another;
9 About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God(H) to love one another.(I)
9 Now you do not need anyone to write to you about brotherly love, since you have been taught by God to love each other.
10 For you certainly do practice it toward all the brothers [and sisters] throughout Macedonia. [Note: This was the province in which Thessalonica was located]. Yet we urge you, brothers, to continue doing it more and more.
10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
10 for indeed (V)you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to (W)excel still more,
10 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia.(J) But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,
10 In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more.
11 [We also urge you to] make it your aim to live a quiet life, and to attend to your own business matters, and to work with your hands, as we urged you. [Note: Possibly this exhortation was directed toward the tendency of some people there to neglect ordinary responsibilities in view of an imminent return of Christ].
11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
11 and to make it your ambition (X)to lead a quiet life and (Y)attend to your own business and (Z)work with your hands, just as we commanded you,
11 to seek to lead a quiet life,(K) to mind your own business,(d) and to work(L) with your own hands, as we commanded you,
11 Also, make it your goal to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you,
12 [Do these things] so that you will live in a proper way in front of outsiders [i.e., non-Christians], and not have [to depend on people for] any needs.
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
12 so that you may walk properly(e)(M) in the presence of outsiders(f) and not be dependent on anyone.(g)(N)
12 so that you may win the respect of outsiders, and have need of nothing.
The Comfort Of The Lord's Return
13 But we want you to be informed, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep [in death] so that you do not grieve, as other people do [i.e., the unsaved], who have no hope.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
13 But (AD)we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who (AE)are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do (AF)the rest who have (AG)no hope.
13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.(O)
13 But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve like other people who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again [from the dead], [we also believe] that God will bring [back to life], along with Jesus, those in [fellowship with] Him who have fallen asleep [in death].
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, (AH)even so God will bring with Him (AI)those who have fallen asleep (k)in Jesus.
14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose(P) again,(Q) in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through(h) Jesus.(R)
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus God will bring those who have died with him.
15 For we say this to you by [the authority of] the word of the Lord [Note: Paul was either quoting what Jesus had previously said, or was giving a revelation he had received from the Lord. See I Cor. 14:37], that we [Christians] who are [still] alive, who are left [on earth] when the Lord returns, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [Note: The point Paul is making is that the living will not be "changed" (I Cor. 15:51-52) and taken to heaven before the dead are raised].
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
15 For this we say to you (AJ)by the word of the Lord, that (AK)we who are alive (l)and remain until (AL)the coming of the Lord, will not precede (AM)those who have fallen asleep.
15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord:(i)(S) We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming(T) will certainly have no advantage over(j) those who have fallen asleep.(U)
15 For we declare to you what the Lord has told us to say: We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have died.
16 For the Lord Himself [i.e., Jesus] will come down from heaven with a commanding shout [Note: This probably refers to Jesus' voice. See John 5:25, 28], [and] with the archangel's voice [i.e., Michael. See Jude 9] and with the sound of God's trumpet; [at this] the dead in [fellowship with] Christ will rise [from the dead] first.
16 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:
16 For the Lord (AN)Himself (AO)will descend from heaven with a (m)(AP)shout, with the voice of (AQ)the archangel and with the (AR)trumpet of God, and (AS)the dead in Christ will rise first.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,(k)(V) with the archangel’s(W) voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ(X) will rise first.
16 With a shout of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of God's trumpet, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, and the dead who belong to the Messiah will rise first.
17 Then, we who [will still] be alive, that are left, will be caught up together with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so [from then on] we will always be with the Lord.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
17 Then (AT)we who are alive (n)and remain will be (AU)caught up together with them (AV)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always (AW)be with the Lord.
17 Then(Y) we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds(Z) to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.