1 Thessalonians 4:11-18

English Standard Version

¹¹ and to aspire ^(A)to live quietly, and ^(B)to mind your own affairs, and ^(C)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, ¹² so that you may ^(D)walk properly before ^(E)outsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(F)that you may not grieve as others do ^(G)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(H)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(I)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(J)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(K)we who are alive, who are left until ^(L)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(M)the Lord himself will descend ^(N)from heaven ^(O)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(P)an archangel, and ^(Q)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(R)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(S)caught up together with them ^(T)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(U)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.