We do not want you to be under any misapprehension, brothers, about those who are falling asleep. You must not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope.

For the Lord himself, at the summons, when the archangel calls and God's trumpet sounds, will come down from heaven, and first those who died in union with Christ will rise;

For our appeal does not rest on a delusion, nor spring from any impure motive; there is no fraud about it.

So we must not sleep like other men, but we must be vigilant and composed.

May God himself, the giver of peace, consecrate you through and through. Spirit, soul, and body, may you be kept sound, and be found irreproachable when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

not to gratify his passion, like the heathen who know nothing of God.

Never give up praying.

but test them all, retaining what is good

Always be joyful.

It is God's will that you should be consecrated, that you abstain from immorality,

For we know, brothers whom God so loves, that he has chosen you,

We for our part constantly thank God for another reason too??ecause when you received God's message from our lips, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which does its work in the hearts of you believers.

Thank God whatever happens. For this is what God through Christ Jesus wants you to do.

for when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were going to have trouble, and it came true, as you know.

No one is to wrong or defraud his brother in this matter, for the Lord avenges all such things, as we told you before, in the most solemn terms.

For those who sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk do so at night,

And you followed the example set by us and by the Lord, for though our message brought you great trouble, you welcomed it with joy inspired by the holy Spirit,

Therefore encourage one another and strengthen one another, just as you are doing.

but we who belong to the day must be composed, wearing faith and love for a coat of mail, and helmeted with the hope of salvation.

But as to times and dates, brothers, you do not need to have anyone write to you,

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then by means of Jesus God will bring back with him those who have fallen asleep.

so that you set an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Greece.

Now, brothers, we ask and entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to live as you learned from us that you must live, to please God??s indeed you are doing, only do it more and more.

Do not stifle the Spirit.

For we can assure you, on the Lord's own authority, that those of us who will still be living when the Lord comes will have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.

then those of us who are still living will be caught up with them on clouds into the air to meet the Lord, and so we shall be with the Lord forever.

God has thought us fit to be intrusted with the good news, and so we tell it, making no effort to please men, but to please God, who tests our hearts.

That was why, when I could not bear it any longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for I was afraid that the tempter might have tempted you and all our labor might be lost.

God has not called us to an unclean life, but to a pure one.

who died for us so that whether we are still alive or fall asleep we may live with him.

We never used flattery, as you know, or found pretexts for making money, as God is our witness.

So whoever disregards this is not disregarding man, but God, who gives you his holy Spirit.

and you are doing it to all the brothers all over Macedonia. But we do entreat you, brothers, to surpass yourselves

But now that Timothy has just come back to me from you, and brought me good news of your faith and love, and told me how kindly you think of me and that you long to see me just as much as I long to see you,

We never sought praise from men, either from you or anyone else, though as Christ's apostles we might have stood on our dignity.

That was the kind of affection we had for you, which made us ready to share with you not only God's good news but our own lives too, because you were so dear to us.

Hold them in the highest esteem and affection for what they do. Live at peace with one another.

Take care that none of you ever pays back evil for evil, but always try to treat one another and everybody with kindness.

for now I can really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

We were children when we were with you; we were like a mother nursing her children.

I feel encouraged, brothers, about you, in spite of all my distress and trouble, at your faith,

You will testify, and God will, how pure and upright and irreproachable our relations were with you who believed.

You remember, brothers, how we toiled and labored. We worked night and day, when we preached the good news to you, in order not to be a burden to any of you.

For how can I thank God enough for you, for all the happiness you make me feel in the presence of our God,

May our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus open my way to you!

to make your lives worthy of God who invites you into his kingdom and his glory.

You know how, like a father with his children, we used to urge, encourage, and implore you

as I pray night and day with intense earnestness that I may see your faces and supply what is lacking in your faith?

Do not disregard the utterances it inspires,

so that you may have the respect of the outsiders, and not be dependent upon anybody.

For you, brothers, followed the example of God's churches in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus, for you in your turn had to bear the same ill-treatment from your neighbors as they did from the Jews,

so that your hearts may be strong and faultlessly pure in the sight of our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus appears with all his saints!

who killed the Lord Jesus and persecuted the prophets and us; who displease God, and in their hostility to all mankind

try to keep us from speaking to the heathen so that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has overtaken them at last!

So when I could not bear it any longer, I made up my mind to stay behind alone at Athens,

He who calls you can be relied on, and he will do this.

But you are not in darkness, brothers, so that that Day should surprise you like thieves.

For we resolved to come to see you??, Paul, did so again and again??ut Satan held us back.

Therefore, encourage one another with this truth.

We had just been through ill-treatment and insults at Philippi, as you remember, but, in the face of great opposition, we took courage by the help of our God, and told you God's good news.

For our part, brothers, when we were separated from you for a little while??n person, though not in spirit??e were extremely eager and longed intensely to see you.

You all belong to the light and the day. We have nothing to do with night or with darkness.

For you remember what instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Brothers, pray for us.

I charge you in the Lord's name to have this letter read to all the brothers.

that each of you learn to take a wife for himself from pure and honorable motives,

and I sent my brother Timothy, a servant of God in preaching the good news of the Christ, to strengthen you in your faith

Greet all the brothers with a sacred kiss.

The blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

You are our pride and our joy.

and encourage you not to be led astray, any of you, in all these troubles. You know yourselves that this is what we must expect,

We beg you, brothers, to respect those who work with you and who lead you in the service of the Lord, and teach you.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Thessalonian church in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; God bless you and give you peace.

We beg you, brothers, warn the idlers, cheer up the despondent, keep hold of the weak, be patient with everybody.

for you yourselves know perfectly well that the Day of the Lord is to come like a thief in the night.

For God has not destined us for his wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

and to wait for the coming from heaven of his Son, whom he raised from the dead??esus, our deliverer from God's coming wrath.

in striving to live quietly and mind your own affairs, and work with your hands, as we directed you,

May the Lord make your love for one another and for all men wide and full like my love for you,

For when people speak of us, they tell what a welcome you gave us, and how you turned from idols to God, to serve a true and living God,

for our preaching of the good news did not come to you as mere words but with power and the holy Spirit and full conviction??ou know the kind of life we lived among you for your good.

You know yourselves, brothers, that our visit to you was far from ineffectual.

and avoiding every kind of evil.

We always thank God for you all when we mention you in our prayers,

When people say, "What peace and security!" then suddenly destruction will be upon them, like birth-pains upon a woman about to give birth to a child, and there will be no escape.

For what hope or happiness shall we have or what prize to be proud of in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes, except you?

For the Lord's message has rung out from you not only over Macedonia and Greece, but the story of your belief in God has gone everywhere, so that we never need to mention it.

You do not need to have anyone write to you about brotherly love, for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another,

for we can never forget before our God and Father your energetic faith, your loving service, and your unwavering expectation of our Lord Jesus Christ.