1 Thessalonians 4
Wycliffe Bible
4 Therefore, brethren, from henceforward we pray you, and beseech in the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us, how it behooveth you to go and to please God, so walk ye, that ye abound more.
2 For ye know what commandments I have given to you by the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your holiness, that ye abstain you from fornication.
4 That each of you know how to wield his vessel in holiness, and honour;
5 not in passion of lust, as heathen men that know not God.
6 And that no man over-go, neither deceive his brother, in chaffering. For the Lord is venger of all these things, as we before-said to you, and have witnessed.
7 For God called not us into uncleanness, but into holiness.
8 Therefore he that despiseth these things, despiseth not man, but God, that also gave his Holy Spirit in us.
9 But of the charity of brotherhood we had no need to write to you; ye yourselves have learned of God, that ye love together;
10 [and] for ye do that into all brethren in all Macedonia. And, brethren, we pray you, that ye abound more;
11 and take keep, that ye be quiet; and that ye do your need [and give work, or busyness, that ye be quiet, and do your need], and that ye work with your [own] hands, as we have commanded to you;
12 and that ye wander honestly to them that be withoutforth, and that of no man ye desire any thing [and that of no man's ye desire any thing].
13 For, brethren, we will not, that ye not know of men that die [Forsooth, brethren, we will not you to unknow of men sleeping, or dying], that ye be not sorrowful, as [and] others that have not hope.
14 For if we believe, that Jesus was dead, and rose again, so God shall lead with him them that be dead by Jesus [so and God shall lead with him them that slept, or died, by Jesus].
15 And we say this thing to you in the word of the Lord, that we that live, that be left in the coming of the Lord, shall not come before them that be dead. [Soothly this thing we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we that live, that be residue, or left, in the coming of the Lord, shall not come before them that slept, or died.]
16 For the Lord himself shall come down from heaven, in the commandment, and in the voice of an archangel [in the commanding, and in the voice of the archangel], and in the trump of God; and the dead men that be in Christ, shall rise again first.
17 Afterward we that live, that be left, shall be snatched (up) together with them in clouds, meeting Christ in the air; and so evermore we shall be with the Lord.
18 Therefore be ye comforted together in these words. [Therefore comfort ye together in these words.]
1 Thessalonians 4
New Matthew Bible
He exhorts them to steadfastness, to keep themselves from sin and unclean conduct, and to love one another. He rebukes idleness, and speaks of the general resurrection.
4 Furthermore, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, as you learned from us how you ought to walk and please God, so to progress more and more. 2 You remember what commandments we gave you in our Lord Jesus Christ. 3 For this is even the will of God: that you should be holy; that you should abstain from fornication; 4 that every one of you should know how to keep his vessel in holiness and honour, 5 and not in the passion of lust, as do the heathen who do not know God; 6 that no one should go too far and defraud his brother in bargaining. For the Lord is an avenger of all such things, as we have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness. 8 Whoever therefore rejects this, rejects not man, but God, who has sent his Holy Spirit among you.
9 But concerning brotherly love, you do not need me to write to you. For you are taught by God to love one another. 10 Yea and this you do, showing love to all the brethren who are throughout all Macedonia. We beseech you, brethren, to progress more and more, 11 and to aspire to be quiet and to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we told you, 12 so that you may conduct yourselves honourably toward those who are outside, and so that nothing be lacking to you.
13 I would not, brethren, have you be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow like others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so then also those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring again with him. 15 And this we say to you in the word of the Lord: we who live and are remaining at the coming of the Lord will not precede those who sleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will arise first. 17 Then shall we who live and remain be caught up with them also in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4
1599 Geneva Bible
4 1 He exhorteth them 3 to holiness, 9 and brotherly love. 13 He forbiddeth them to sorrow after to manner of infidels. 15 He setteth out the history of our resurrection.
1 And [a]furthermore we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that ye [b]increase more and more, as ye have received of us, how ye ought to walk, and to please God.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
3 (A)[c]For this is the will of God even your [d]sanctification, and that ye should abstain from fornication,
4 [e]That everyone of you should know, how to possess his vessel in holiness and honor,
5 [f]And not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6 (B)[g]That no man oppress or defraud his brother in any matter: for the Lord is avenger of all such things, as we also have told you beforetime, and testified.
7 (C)For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that [h]despiseth these things, despiseth not man, but God who hath even given you his holy Spirit.
9 [i]But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you: (D)for ye are taught of God to love one another.
10 Yea, and that thing verily ye do unto all the brethren, which are throughout all Macedonia: but we beseech you brethren, that ye increase more and more,
11 [j]And that ye study to be quiet, and to meddle with your own business, [k]and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.
12 That ye may behave yourselves honestly toward them that are without, and that nothing be lacking unto you.
13 ¶ [l]I would not brethren, have you ignorant [m]concerning them [n]which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope.
14 [o]For if we believe that Jesus is dead, and is risen, even so them which sleep in [p]Jesus, will God [q]bring with him.
15 [r]For this say we unto you by the [s]word of the Lord, that [t]we which live, and are remaining in the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which sleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a [u]shout, and with the voice of the Archangel, and (E)with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then shall we which live and remain, be [v]caught up with them also in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore, comfort yourselves one another with these words.
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Divers exhortations, the ground whereof is this, to be mindful of those things, which they have heard of the Apostle.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1 That ye labor to excel more and more, and daily pass yourselves.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 This is the sum of those things, which he delivered them, to dedicate themselves wholly to God. And he condemneth plainly all filthiness through lust, because it is altogether contrary to the will of God.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 See John 19:17.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Another reason, because it defileth the body.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:5 The third, because the Saints are discerned from them which know not God, by honesty and purity.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:6 Secondly, he reprehendeth all violent oppression and immoderate desire, and showeth most severely as the Prophet of God, that God will revenge such wickedness.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8 These commandments which I gave you.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9 Thirdly, he requireth a ready mind to all manner of lovingkindness, and exhorteth them to profit more and more in that virtue.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11 He condemneth unquiet brains, and such as are curious in matters which appertain not unto them.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11 He rebuketh idleness and slothfulness, which vices whosoever are given unto, fall into other wickedness, to the great offense of the Church.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 The third part of the Epistle, which is interlaced among the former exhortations (which he returneth unto afterward) wherein he speaketh of mourning for the dead, and the manner of the resurrection, and of the latter day.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 We must take heed that we do not immoderately bewail the dead, that is, as they used to do which think that they are utterly perished.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 A confirmation: for death is but a sleep of the body (for he speaketh of the faithful) until the Lord cometh.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 A reason of the confirmation, for seeing that the head is risen, the members also shall rise, and that by the virtue of God.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 They die in Christ, which continue in faith, whereby they are grafted into Christ, even to the last gasp.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Will call their bodies out of their graves, and join their souls to them again.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 The manner of the resurrection shall be thus: The bodies of the dead shall be as it were raised out of sleep, at the sound of the trumpet of God, Christ himself shall descend from heaven. The Saints (for he speaketh properly of them) which shall then be found alive together with the dead which shall rise, shall be taken up into the clouds to meet the Lord, and shall be in perpetual glory with him.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 In the Name of the Lord, as though he himself speaks unto you.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 He speaketh of these things, as though he should be one of them whom the Lord shall find alive at his coming, because that time is uncertain, and therefore every one of us ought to be in such a readiness, as if the Lord were coming at every moment.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16 The word which the Apostle useth here, signifieth properly that encouragement which mariners use one to another, when they altogether with one shout put forth their oars and row together.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Suddenly and in the twinkling of an eye.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
