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1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3
Contemporary English Version
1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3
Contemporary English Version
A Life That Pleases God
4 Finally, my dear friends, since you belong to the Lord Jesus, we beg and urge you to live as we taught you. Then you will please God. You are already living that way, but try even harder. 2 Remember the instructions we gave you as followers of the Lord Jesus. 3 God wants you to be holy, so don't be immoral in matters of sex. 4 Respect and honor your wife.[a] 5 Don't be a slave of your desires or live like people who don't know God. 6 You must not cheat any of the Lord's followers in matters of sex.[b] Remember, we warned you that he punishes everyone who does such things. 7 God didn't choose you to be filthy, but to be pure. 8 So if you don't obey these rules, you are not really disobeying us. Instead, you are disobeying God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 We don't have to write you about the need to love each other. God has taught you to do this, 10 and you already have shown your love for all his people in Macedonia. But, my dear friends, we ask you to do even more. 11 Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work hard, just as we taught you to do. 12 (A) Then you will be respected by people who are not followers of the Lord, and you won't have to depend on anyone.
The Lord's Coming
13 My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died. Then you won't grieve over them and be like people who don't have any hope. 14 We believe Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died. 15 (B)(C) Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died.
16 (D) With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. 17 Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. 18 Encourage each other with these words.
5 I don't need to write you about the time or date when all this will happen. 2 (E) You surely know that the Lord's return[c] will be as a thief coming at night. 3 People will think they are safe and secure. But destruction will suddenly strike them like the pains of a woman about to give birth. And they won't escape.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3
New International Version
1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3
New International Version
Living to Please God
4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(A) we instructed you how to live(B) in order to please God,(C) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will(D) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;(E) 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a](F) in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust(G) like the pagans,(H) who do not know God;(I) 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b](J) The Lord will punish(K) all those who commit such sins,(L) as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.(M) 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.(N)
9 Now about your love for one another(O) we do not need to write to you,(P) for you yourselves have been taught by God(Q) to love each other.(R) 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.(S) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,(T) 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,(U) just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders(V) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Believers Who Have Died
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed(W) about those who sleep in death,(X) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.(Y) 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,(Z) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.(AA) 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,(AB) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.(AC) 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,(AD) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel(AE) and with the trumpet call of God,(AF) and the dead in Christ will rise first.(AG) 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left(AH) will be caught up together with them in the clouds(AI) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord(AJ) forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another(AK) with these words.
The Day of the Lord
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates(AL) we do not need to write to you,(AM) 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord(AN) will come like a thief in the night.(AO) 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”(AP) destruction will come on them suddenly,(AQ) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.(AR)
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or learn to live with your own wife; or learn to acquire a wife
- 1 Thessalonians 4:6 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.