1 Thessalonians 4:9-18  Christian Standard Bible

Loving and Working

⁹ About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God^(A) to love one another.^{(B) 10} In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia.^(C) But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, ¹¹ to seek to lead a quiet life,^(D) to mind your own business,^[a] and to work^(E) with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² so that you may behave properly^(F) in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.^[b](G)

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.^{(H) 14} For if we believe that Jesus died and rose^(I) again,^(J) in the same way, through Jesus,^(K) God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For we say this to you by a word from the Lord:^(L) We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming^(M) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^{(N) 16} For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout,^[c](O) with the archangel’s^(P) voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ^(Q) will rise first. ¹⁷ Then^(R) we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(S) to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage^[d] one another with these words.