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1 Thessalonians 3-4
New King James Version
1 Thessalonians 3-4
New King James Version
Concern for Their Faith
3 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent (A)Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 (B)that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that (C)we are appointed to this. 4 (D)For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, (E)lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and (F)our labor might be in vain.
Encouraged by Timothy
6 (G)But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, (H)as we also to see you— 7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress (I)we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you (J)stand fast in the Lord.
9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face (K)and perfect what is lacking in your faith?
Prayer for the Church
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, (L)direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and (M)abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish (N)your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
Plea for Purity
4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus (O)that you should abound more and more, (P)just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is (Q)the will of God, (R)your sanctification: (S)that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 (T)that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 (U)not in passion of lust, (V)like the Gentiles (W)who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord (X)is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, (Y)but in holiness. 8 (Z)Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, (AA)who[a] has also given us His Holy Spirit.
A Brotherly and Orderly Life
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for (AB)you yourselves are taught by God (AC)to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, (AD)that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, (AE)to mind your own business, and (AF)to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 (AG)that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen [b]asleep, lest you sorrow (AH)as others (AI)who have no hope. 14 For (AJ)if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him (AK)those who [c]sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you (AL)by the word of the Lord, that (AM)we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are [d]asleep. 16 For (AN)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with (AO)the trumpet of God. (AP)And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 (AQ)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them (AR)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus (AS)we shall always be with the Lord. 18 (AT)Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8 NU who also gives
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Died
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Or through Jesus sleep
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Dead
1 Thessalonians 3-4
New International Version
1 Thessalonians 3-4
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.
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.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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.