Be Ready for His Coming

⁴² “Therefore ^(A)be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But ^[a]be sure of this, that ^(B)if the head of the house had known ^(C)at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be ^[b]broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason ^(D)you also must be ready; for ^(E)the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

¹⁹ but the worries of ^(A)the ^[a]world, and the ^(B)deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

^40 (A)You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not ^[a]expect.”

⁴⁵ But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master ^[a]will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;

² For you yourselves know full well that ^(A)the day of the Lord ^[a]will come ^(B)just like a thief in the night. ³ While they are saying, “^(C)Peace and safety!” then ^[b](D)destruction ^[c]will come upon them suddenly like ^(E)labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in ^(F)darkness, that the day would overtake you ^[d](G)like a thief; ⁵ for you are all ^(H)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of ^(I)darkness; ⁶ so then let us not ^(J)sleep as ^[e](K)others do, but let us be alert and ^[f](L)sober. ⁷ For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get ^(M)drunk at night. ⁸ But since ^(N)we are of the day, let us ^(O)be ^[g]sober, having put on the ^(P)breastplate of ^(Q)faith and love, and as a ^(R)helmet, the ^(S)hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for ^(T)wrath, but for ^(U)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (V)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore ^[h]encourage one another and ^(W)build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Christian Conduct

¹² But we request of you, brethren, that you ^[i](X)appreciate those ^(Y)who diligently labor among you, and ^(Z)have charge over you in the Lord and give you ^[j]instruction, ¹³ and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^(AA)Live in peace with one another. ¹⁴ We urge you, brethren, admonish ^(AB)the ^[k]unruly, encourage ^(AC)the fainthearted, help ^(AD)the weak, be ^(AE)patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that ^(AF)no one repays another with evil for evil, but always ^(AG)seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. ^16 (AH)Rejoice always; ^17 (AI)pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything ^(AJ)give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ^19 (AK)Do not quench the Spirit; ²⁰ do not despise ^(AL)prophetic ^[l]utterances. ²¹ But ^(AM)examine everything carefully; ^(AN)hold fast to that which is good; ²² abstain from every ^[m]form of evil.

²³ Now ^(AO)may the God of peace ^(AP)Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your ^(AQ)spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, ^(AR)without blame at ^(AS)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^24 (AT)Faithful is He who ^(AU)calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

²⁵ Brethren, ^(AV)pray for us^[n].

^26 (AW)Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I adjure you by the Lord to ^(AX)have this letter read to all the ^(AY)brethren.

^28 (AZ)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.