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1 Thessalonians 3-5
English Standard Version
1 Thessalonians 3-5
English Standard Version
3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing (A)to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we (B)sent Timothy, (C)our brother and God's coworker[a] in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that (D)we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, (E)just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, (F)when I could bear it no longer, (G)I sent to learn about your faith, (H)for fear that somehow (I)the tempter had tempted you and (J)our labor would be in vain.
Timothy's Encouraging Report
6 But (K)now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of (L)your faith and love and reported (M)that you always remember us kindly and (N)long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers,[b] in all our distress and affliction (O)we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you (P)are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For (Q)what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly (R)night and day (S)that we may see you face to face and (T)supply what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may (U)our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, (V)direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord (W)make you increase and abound in love (X)for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may (Y)establish your hearts blameless in holiness before (Z)our God and Father, at (AA)the coming of our Lord Jesus (AB)with all his saints.
A Life Pleasing to God
4 Finally, then, brothers,[c] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you (AC)received from us (AD)how you ought to walk and (AE)to please God, just as you are doing, that you (AF)do so more and more. 2 For (AG)you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, (AH)your sanctification:[d] (AI)that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own (AJ)body[e] in holiness and (AK)honor, 5 not in (AL)the passion of lust (AM)like the Gentiles (AN)who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and (AO)wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is (AP)an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For (AQ)God has not called us for (AR)impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore (AS)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, (AT)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now concerning (AU)brotherly love (AV)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been (AW)taught by God (AX)to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what (AY)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to (AZ)do this more and more, 11 and to aspire (BA)to live quietly, and (BB)to mind your own affairs, and (BC)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may (BD)walk properly before (BE)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, (BF)that you may not grieve as others do (BG)who have no hope. 14 For (BH)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him (BI)those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you (BJ)by a word from the Lord,[f] that (BK)we who are alive, who are left until (BL)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For (BM)the Lord himself will descend (BN)from heaven (BO)with a cry of command, with the voice of (BP)an archangel, and (BQ)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And (BR)the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be (BS)caught up together with them (BT)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so (BU)we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The Day of the Lord
5 Now concerning (BV)the times and the seasons, brothers,[g] (BW)you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that (BX)the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then (BY)sudden destruction will come upon them (BZ)as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you (CA)are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all (CB)children[h] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then (CC)let us not sleep, as others do, but let us (CD)keep awake and (CE)be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, (CF)are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, (CG)having put on the breastplate of (CH)faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for (CI)wrath, but (CJ)to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 (CK)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, (CL)to respect those who labor among you and (CM)are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. (CN)Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish (CO)the idle,[i] (CP)encourage the fainthearted, (CQ)help the weak, (CR)be patient with them all. 15 See that (CS)no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always (CT)seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 (CU)Rejoice always, 17 (CV)pray without ceasing, 18 (CW)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 (CX)Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise (CY)prophecies, 21 but (CZ)test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may (DA)the God of peace himself (DB)sanctify you completely, and may your (DC)whole (DD)spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at (DE)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 (DF)He who calls you is faithful; (DG)he will surely do it.
25 (DH)Brothers, pray for us.
26 (DI)Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have (DJ)this letter read to all the brothers.
28 (DK)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 3:2 Some manuscripts servant
- 1 Thessalonians 3:7 Or brothers and sisters
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 10, 13
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Or your holiness
- 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or how to take a wife for himself; Greek how to possess his own vessel
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Or by the word of the Lord
- 1 Thessalonians 5:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 4, 12, 14, 25, 26, 27
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5 Or sons; twice in this verse
- 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined
1 Thessalonians 3-5
New International Version
1 Thessalonians 3-5
New International Version
3 So when we could stand it no longer,(A) we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.(B) 2 We sent Timothy,(C) who is our brother and co-worker(D) in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ,(E) to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.(F) For you know quite well that we are destined for them.(G) 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.(H) 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer,(I) I sent to find out about your faith.(J) I was afraid that in some way the tempter(K) had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.(L)
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
6 But Timothy(M) has just now come to us from you(N) and has brought good news about your faith and love.(O) He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.(P) 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm(Q) in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you(R) in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?(S) 10 Night and day we pray(T) most earnestly that we may see you again(U) and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11 Now may our God and Father(V) himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other(W) and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless(X) and holy in the presence of our God and Father(Y) when our Lord Jesus comes(Z) with all his holy ones.(AA)
Living to Please God
4 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(AB) we instructed you how to live(AC) in order to please God,(AD) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will(AE) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;(AF) 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a](AG) in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust(AH) like the pagans,(AI) who do not know God;(AJ) 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b](AK) The Lord will punish(AL) all those who commit such sins,(AM) as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.(AN) 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.(AO)
9 Now about your love for one another(AP) we do not need to write to you,(AQ) for you yourselves have been taught by God(AR) to love each other.(AS) 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.(AT) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,(AU) 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,(AV) just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders(AW) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Believers Who Have Died
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed(AX) about those who sleep in death,(AY) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.(AZ) 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,(BA) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.(BB) 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,(BC) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.(BD) 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,(BE) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel(BF) and with the trumpet call of God,(BG) and the dead in Christ will rise first.(BH) 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left(BI) will be caught up together with them in the clouds(BJ) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord(BK) forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another(BL) with these words.
The Day of the Lord
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates(BM) we do not need to write to you,(BN) 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord(BO) will come like a thief in the night.(BP) 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”(BQ) destruction will come on them suddenly,(BR) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.(BS)
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness(BT) so that this day should surprise you like a thief.(BU) 5 You are all children of the light(BV) and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,(BW) but let us be awake(BX) and sober.(BY) 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.(BZ) 8 But since we belong to the day,(CA) let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate,(CB) and the hope of salvation(CC) as a helmet.(CD) 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath(CE) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.(CF) 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.(CG) 11 Therefore encourage one another(CH) and build each other up,(CI) just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard(CJ) among you, who care for you in the Lord(CK) and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.(CL) 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle(CM) and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,(CN) be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,(CO) but always strive to do what is good for each other(CP) and for everyone else.
16 Rejoice always,(CQ) 17 pray continually,(CR) 18 give thanks in all circumstances;(CS) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.(CT) 20 Do not treat prophecies(CU) with contempt 21 but test them all;(CV) hold on to what is good,(CW) 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May God himself, the God of peace,(CX) sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul(CY) and body be kept blameless(CZ) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.(DA) 24 The one who calls(DB) you is faithful,(DC) and he will do it.(DD)
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.(DE) 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.(DF) 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.(DG)
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.(DH)
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or learn to live with your own wife; or learn to acquire a wife
- 1 Thessalonians 4:6 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.