You and God are witnesses of how pure, honest, and blameless our conduct was among you who believe.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in union with the Messiah Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from the people of your own country as they did from those Jews

as they try to keep us from telling the gentiles how they can be saved. As a result, they are constantly adding to the number of sins they have committed. However, wrath has overtaken them at last!

Yes, you are our glory and joy!

so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions, for which you are aware that we were destined.

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.

In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more.

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.

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.

However, brothers, you are not in the darkness, in order that the Day of the Lord might surprise you like a thief.

For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness.

who died for us in order that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

So then, encourage one another and build each other up, as you are doing.

We urge you, brothers, to admonish those who are idle, cheer up those who are discouraged, and help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.