¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(A) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(B) and with the trumpet call of God,^(C) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^(D)

¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left^(A) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(B) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(C) forever.

²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,^(A) groan^(B) inwardly as we wait eagerly^(C) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.^(D)

¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing^(A) of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,^(B)

⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery:^(A) We will not all sleep,^(B) but we will all be changed^(C)—

⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,^(A) the dead^(B) will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.