1 Thessalonians 4
Paul urges the Thessalonians to abstain from fornication, to live quietly, work with their own hands, and walk honestly toward those outside. He comforts them concerning the dead in Christ, declaring that the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then the living shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. | Finally then, brethren, we appeal to You and urge You in the Lord Jesus that, just as You received from us how You ought to walk and to please God, You would do so more and more. |
| 2 | For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. | For You know what commandments we gave You through the Lord Jesus. |
| 3 | For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: | For this is the will of God — your sanctification: that You abstain from fornication, |
| 4 | That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; | that each of You should know how to control His own body in sanctification and honor, |
| 5 | Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: | not in the lust of evil desire, like the Gentiles who do not know God; |
| 6 | That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. | and that no man overstep or take advantage of His brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such sins, as we have already warned You and solemnly testified. |
| 7 | For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. | For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness. |
| 8 | He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. | Therefore the one who rejects this teaching is not rejecting man, but God — who has also given to us His Holy Spirit. |
| 9 | But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. | Now concerning brotherly love, You have no need that I write to You, for You yourselves are taught by God to love one another. |
| 10 | And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; | And indeed You do this toward all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we appeal to You, brethren, to do so more and more — |
| 11 | And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; | and to make it Your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind Your own business, and to work with Your own hands, just as we commanded You, |
| 12 | That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. | so that You may walk honorably toward those who are outside, and that You may lack nothing. |
| 13 | But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. | But I would not have You ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, so that You do not grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. |
| 14 | For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. | For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those also who sleep in Jesus. |
| 15 | For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. | For this we say to You by the word of the Lord: we who are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep. |
| 16 | For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: | For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. |
| 17 | Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. | Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. |
| 18 | Wherefore comfort one another with these words. | Therefore comfort one another with these words. |