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 broken into. ⁴⁴ For this reason ^(D)you must be ready as well; 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 wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it ^[b]becomes unfruitful.

^40 (A)You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”

⁴⁵ But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other 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 is coming ^(B)just like a thief in the night. ³ While they are saying, “^(C)Peace and safety!” then ^(D)sudden destruction ^[a]will come upon them like ^(E)labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in ^(F)darkness, so that the day would overtake you ^[b](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’s not ^(J)sleep as ^[c](K)others do, but let’s be alert and ^[d](L)sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, ^(M)get drunk at night. ⁸ But since ^(N)we are of the day, let’s ^(O)be ^[e]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, ^[f]encourage one another and ^(W)build one another up, just as you also are doing.

Christian Conduct

¹² But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to ^(X)recognize those ^(Y)who diligently labor among you and ^[g](Z)are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you ^[h]instruction, ¹³ and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. ^(AA)Live in peace with one another. ¹⁴ We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish ^(AB)the ^[i]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 what 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 the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. ^19 (AK)Do not quench the Spirit, ²⁰ do not utterly reject ^[j](AL)prophecies, ²¹ but ^(AM)examine everything; ^(AN)hold firmly to that which is good, ²² abstain from every ^[k]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 kept 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 do it.

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, ^(AV)pray for us^[l].

^26 (AW)Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I put you under oath by the Lord to ^(AX)have this letter read to all the ^(AY)brothers and sisters.

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