The Coming of the Lord

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

²⁰ But in fact ^(A)Christ has been raised from the dead, ^(B)the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For as ^(C)by a man came death, ^(D)by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For ^(E)as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then ^(F)at his coming ^(G)those who belong to Christ.

⁵¹ Behold! I tell you a mystery. ^(A)We shall not all sleep, ^(B)but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For ^(C)the trumpet will sound, and ^(D)the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and ^(E)this mortal body must put on immortality.