11 Now may our God and Father(A) 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(B) and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless(C) and holy in the presence of our God and Father(D) when our Lord Jesus comes(E) with all his holy ones.(F)

Living to Please God

As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(G) we instructed you how to live(H) in order to please God,(I) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

It is God’s will(J) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;(K) that each of you should learn to control your own body[a](L) in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust(M) like the pagans,(N) who do not know God;(O) and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b](P) The Lord will punish(Q) all those who commit such sins,(R) as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.(S) Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.(T)

Now about your love for one another(U) we do not need to write to you,(V) for you yourselves have been taught by God(W) to love each other.(X) 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.(Y) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,(Z) 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,(AA) just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders(AB) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or learn to live with your own wife; or learn to acquire a wife
  2. 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.

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