Plea for Purity

4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus ^(A)that you should abound more and more, ^(B)just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; ² for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is ^(C)the will of God, ^(D)your sanctification: ^(E)that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ^4 (F)that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ^5 (G)not in passion of lust, ^(H)like the Gentiles ^(I)who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord ^(J)is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, ^(K)but in holiness. ^8 (L)Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, ^(M)who^[a] has also given us His Holy Spirit.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

⁹ But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for ^(N)you yourselves are taught by God ^(O)to love one another; ¹⁰ and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, ^(P)that you increase more and more; ¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, ^(Q)to mind your own business, and ^(R)to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ^12 (S)that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[b]asleep, lest you sorrow ^(T)as others ^(U)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(V)if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him ^(W)those who ^[c]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you ^(X)by the word of the Lord, that ^(Y)we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[d]asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(Z)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^(AA)the trumpet of God. ^(AB)And the dead in Christ will rise first. ^17 (AC)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them ^(AD)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ^(AE)we shall always be with the Lord. ^18 (AF)Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 But concerning ^(AG)the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly that ^(AH)the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then ^(AI)sudden destruction comes upon them, ^(AJ)as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ^4 (AK)But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ You are all ^(AL)sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ^6 (AM)Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but ^(AN)let us watch and be ^[e]sober. ⁷ For ^(AO)those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk ^(AP)are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, ^(AQ)putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For ^(AR)God did not appoint us to wrath, ^(AS)but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (AT)who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

¹¹ Therefore ^[f]comfort each other and ^[g]edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Various Exhortations

¹² And we urge you, brethren, ^(AU)to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and ^[h]admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. ^(AV)Be at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴ Now we ^[i]exhort you, brethren, ^(AW)warn those who are ^[j]unruly, ^(AX)comfort the fainthearted, ^(AY)uphold the weak, ^(AZ)be patient with all. ^15 (BA)See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always ^(BB)pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

^16 (BC)Rejoice always, ^17 (BD)pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

^19 (BE)Do not quench the Spirit. ^20 (BF)Do not despise prophecies. ^21 (BG)Test all things; ^(BH)hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

Blessing and Admonition

²³ Now may ^(BI)the God of peace Himself ^(BJ)sanctify^[k] you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body ^(BK)be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ He who calls you is ^(BL)faithful, who also will ^(BM)do it.

²⁵ Brethren, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I charge you by the Lord that this ^[l]epistle be read to all the ^[m]holy brethren.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

^2 (A)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Final Judgment and Glory

³ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, ⁴ so that ^(B)we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God ^(C)for your patience and faith ^(D)in all your persecutions and ^[a]tribulations that you endure, ⁵ which is ^(E)manifest^[b] evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, ^(F)for which you also suffer; ^6 (G)since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with ^[c]tribulation those who trouble you, ⁷ and to give you who are troubled ^(H)rest with us when ^(I)the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9 (J)These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and ^(K)from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes, in that Day, ^(L)to be ^(M)glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who ^[d]believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

¹¹ Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would ^(N)count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and ^(O)the work of faith with power, ^12 (P)that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Great Apostasy

2 Now, brethren, ^(Q)concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(R)and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ^2 (S)not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of ^[e]Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come ^(T)unless the falling away comes first, and ^(U)the man of ^[f]sin is revealed, ^(V)the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and ^(W)exalts himself ^(X)above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[g]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For ^(Y)the ^[h]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[i]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, ^(Z)whom the Lord will consume ^(AA)with the breath of His mouth and destroy ^(AB)with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is ^(AC)according to the working of Satan, with all power, ^(AD)signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among ^(AE)those who perish, because they did not receive ^(AF)the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And ^(AG)for this reason God will send them strong delusion, ^(AH)that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but ^(AI)had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Stand Fast

¹³ But we are ^[j]bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God ^(AJ)from the beginning ^(AK)chose you for salvation ^(AL)through ^[k]sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, ¹⁴ to which He called you by our gospel, for ^(AM)the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, ^(AN)stand fast and hold ^(AO)the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our ^[l]epistle.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, ^(AP)who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and ^(AQ)good hope by grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts ^(AR)and ^[m]establish you in every good word and work.

Pray for Us

3 Finally, brethren, ^(AS)pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ² and ^(AT)that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; ^(AU)for not all have faith.

³ But ^(AV)the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and ^(AW)guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And ^(AX)we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you.

⁵ Now may ^(AY)the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AZ)that you withdraw ^(BA)from every brother who walks ^(BB)disorderly and not according to the tradition which ^[n]he received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s bread ^[o]free of charge, but worked with ^(BC)labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹ not because we do not have ^(BD)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are ^(BE)busybodies. ¹² Now those who are such we command and ^[p]exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ ^(BF)that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.

¹³ But as for you, brethren, ^(BG)do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this ^[q]epistle, note that person and ^(BH)do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15 (BI)Yet do not count him as an enemy, ^(BJ)but ^[r]admonish him as a brother.

Benediction

¹⁶ Now may ^(BK)the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

^17 (BL)The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every ^[s]epistle; so I write.

^18 (BM)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.