1 Thessalonians 4:1 - 2 Thessalonians 3:15

English Standard Version

A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally, then, brothers,^[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you ^(A)received from us ^(B)how you ought to walk and ^(C)to please God, just as you are doing, that you ^(D)do so more and more. ² For ^(E)you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, ^(F)your sanctification:^{[b] (G)}that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own ^(H)body^[c] in holiness and ^(I)honor, ⁵ not in ^(J)the passion of lust ^(K)like the Gentiles ^(L)who do not know God; ⁶ that no one transgress and ^(M)wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is ^(N)an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. ⁷ For ^(O)God has not called us for ^(P)impurity, but in holiness. ⁸ Therefore ^(Q)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, ^(R)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ Now concerning ^(S)brotherly love ^(T)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been ^(U)taught by God ^(V)to love one another, ¹⁰ for that indeed is what ^(W)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ^(X)do this more and more, ¹¹ and to aspire ^(Y)to live quietly, and ^(Z)to mind your own affairs, and ^(AA)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, ¹² so that you may ^(AB)walk properly before ^(AC)outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(AD)that you may not grieve as others do ^(AE)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(AF)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(AG)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(AH)by a word from the Lord,^[d] that ^(AI)we who are alive, who are left until ^(AJ)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(AK)the Lord himself will descend ^(AL)from heaven ^(AM)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(AN)an archangel, and ^(AO)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(AP)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(AQ)caught up together with them ^(AR)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(AS)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning ^(AT)the times and the seasons, brothers,^{[e] (AU)}you have no need to have anything written to you. ² For you yourselves are fully aware that ^(AV)the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then ^(AW)sudden destruction will come upon them ^(AX)as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you ^(AY)are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For you are all ^(AZ)children^[f] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. ⁶ So then ^(BA)let us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^(BB)keep awake and ^(BC)be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, ^(BD)are drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, ^(BE)having put on the breastplate of ^(BF)faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for ^(BG)wrath, but ^(BH)to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (BI)who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Final Instructions and Benediction

¹² We ask you, brothers, ^(BJ)to respect those who labor among you and ^(BK)are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^(BL)Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish ^(BM)the idle,^{[g] (BN)}encourage the fainthearted, ^(BO)help the weak, ^(BP)be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that ^(BQ)no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always ^(BR)seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ^16 (BS)Rejoice always, ^17 (BT)pray without ceasing, ^18 (BU)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ^19 (BV)Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise ^(BW)prophecies, ²¹ but ^(BX)test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

²³ Now may ^(BY)the God of peace himself ^(BZ)sanctify you completely, and may your ^(CA)whole ^(CB)spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at ^(CC)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^24 (CD)He who calls you is faithful; ^(CE)he will surely do it.

^25 (CF)Brothers, pray for us.

^26 (CG)Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷ I put you under oath before the Lord to have ^(CH)this letter read to all the brothers.

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

Greeting

1 ^(CJ)Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

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

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

^3 (CK)We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,^[h] as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. ⁴ Therefore ^(CL)we ourselves boast about you ^(CM)in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith ^(CN)in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ's Coming

⁵ This is ^(CO)evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be ^(CP)considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— ⁶ since indeed God considers it ^(CQ)just ^(CR)to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷ and to grant ^(CS)relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when ^(CT)the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven ^(CU)with his mighty angels ^8 (CV)in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those ^(CW)who do not know God and on those who ^(CX)do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will suffer the punishment of ^(CY)eternal destruction, ^(CZ)away from^[i] the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, ^10 (DA)when he comes on ^(DB)that day ^(DC)to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our ^(DD)testimony to you ^(DE)was believed. ¹¹ To this end we ^(DF)always pray for you, that our God may ^(DG)make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every ^(DH)work of faith by his power, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus ^(DI)may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Now concerning ^(DJ)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our ^(DK)being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,^{[j] 2} not to be quickly shaken in mind or ^(DL)alarmed, either ^(DM)by a spirit or a ^(DN)spoken word, or ^(DO)a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that ^(DP)the day of the Lord has come. ^3 (DQ)Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, ^(DR)unless the rebellion comes first, and ^(DS)the man of lawlessness^[k] is revealed, ^(DT)the son of destruction,^{[l] 4} who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, ^(DU)proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For ^(DV)the mystery of lawlessness ^(DW)is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then ^(DX)the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus ^(DY)will kill with ^(DZ)the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by ^(EA)the appearance of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan ^(EB)with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for ^(EC)those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ Therefore ^(ED)God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe ^(EE)what is false, ¹² in order that all may be condemned ^(EF)who did not believe the truth but ^(EG)had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Stand Firm

¹³ But ^(EH)we ought always to give thanks to God for you, ^(EI)brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you ^(EJ)as the firstfruits^{[m] (EK)}to be saved, ^(EL)through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through ^(EM)our gospel, ^(EN)so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, ^(EO)stand firm and hold to ^(EP)the traditions that you were taught by us, either ^(EQ)by our spoken word or by ^(ER)our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, ^(ES)who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good ^(ET)hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and ^(EU)establish them in every good work and word.

Pray for Us

3 Finally, brothers,^{[n] (EV)}pray for us, that ^(EW)the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored,^[o] as happened among you, ² and ^(EX)that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For ^(EY)not all have faith. ³ But ^(EZ)the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and ^(FA)guard you against ^(FB)the evil one.^{[p] 4} And ^(FC)we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. ⁵ May the Lord ^(FD)direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ Now we command you, brothers, ^(FE)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(FF)that you keep away from any ^(FG)brother ^(FH)who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know ^(FI)how you ought to imitate us, because ^(FJ)we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but ^(FK)with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It was ^(FL)not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves ^(FM)an example to imitate. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: ^(FN)If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you ^(FO)walk in idleness, not busy at work, but ^(FP)busybodies. ¹² Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.^[q]

¹³ As for you, brothers, ^(FQ)do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴ If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and ^(FR)have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15 (FS)Do not regard him as an enemy, but ^(FT)warn him as a brother.