Kehillah in Thessalonika I 4:13-5:11

Orthodox Jewish Bible

¹³ We do not want you to lack da’as, Chaverim, concerning those who have "fallen asleep." The purpose is that you not have agmat nefesh (grief) like the rest, who do not have tikvah (hope).

¹⁴ For, if we have an Ani Ma’amin belief that Yehoshua had his histalkus and then stood up alive again in the Techiyas HaMoshiach from HaMesim, even so, Hashem will bring with him [Moshiach] those who have fallen asleep through Yehoshua.

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the Dvar Hashem, that we who are alive and have been left behind until the Bi’as (Coming, Parousia of) Moshiach Adoneinu, may in no way be kodem (preceding) those who have fallen asleep.

¹⁶ For Adoneinu Himself, at the signal, at the bat kol of the Sar HaMalachim (the Archangel), and at the shofar blast of Hashem, shall come down from Shomayim, and the Mesim in Moshiach shall stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMesim first.

¹⁷ Then [next in sequence], we who are alive and who have been left behind simultaneously with them shall be snatched up in the ananim (clouds) to meet Adoneinu in the air. And so always with Adoneinu we shall be.

¹⁸ Therefore, give chozek (strength) and speak divrei chizzuk (words of encouragement), comforting one another with these words.

5 But concerning the ittim (times) and the zmanim (seasons), Chaverim, you have no need for you to have anything in writing.

² For you yourselves know very well that the Yom Hashem comes like a ganav balailah (thief in the night).

³ Whenever they say, "Shalom and Bitachon!" then sudden churban (destruction) will come upon them like the chevlei leydah (birth pangs) of the isha with a baby in her womb. And they can certainly not escape.

⁴ But you, Achim b’Moshiach, are not in choshech that the Yom should overtake you like a ganav.

⁵ For all of you are Bnei Ohr and Bnei Yom; we are not of the Lailah nor of the Choshech.

⁶ Therefore, let us not "sleep" as the rest, but let us keep awake with zililut da’as (sober-mindedness).

⁷ For the ones sleeping sleep balailah, and the ones indulging in shichrut (drunkenness) indulge in shichrut balailah.

⁸ But we, being Bnei Yom, let us be bnei zililut da’as (sons of sober-mindedness), having clothed ourselves with the choshen (breastplate) of emunah and ahavah (agape) and as a KOVAH (helmet, YESHAYAH 59:17) the tikvah of Yeshu’at Eloheynu.

⁹ Because Hashem did not appoint us to charon af (the burning wrath) but to the attainment of Yeshu’at Eloheinu through Adoneinu, Moshiach Yehoshua.

¹⁰ He is the one who made his histalkus and died on our behalf in order that whether we are [living] and awake or [passed away] and sleeping, we may live together with Moshiach.

¹¹ Therefore, give chozek (strength) and encouragement, building up one another, as indeed you are doing.