1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

Complete Jewish Bible

¹³ Now, brothers, we want you to know the truth about those who have died; otherwise, you might become sad the way other people ¹⁴ do who have nothing to hope for. For since we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, we also believe that in the same way God, through Yeshua, will take with him those who have died. ¹⁵ When we say this, we base it on the Lord’s own word: we who remain alive when the Lord comes will certainly not take precedence over those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God’s shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; ¹⁷ then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.

5 But you have no need to have anything written to you, brothers, about the times and dates when this will happen; ² because you yourselves well know that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is so peaceful and secure,” then destruction will suddenly come upon them, the way labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there is no way they will escape.

⁴ But you, brothers, are not in the dark, so that the Day should take you by surprise like a thief; ⁵ for you are all people who belong to the light, who belong to the day. We don’t belong to the night or to darkness, ⁶ so let’s not be asleep, like the rest are; on the contrary, let us stay alert and sober. ⁷ People who sleep, sleep at night; and people who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us stay sober, putting on trust and love as a breastplate and the hope of being delivered as a helmet.^{[a] 9} For God has not intended that we should experience his fury, but that we should gain deliverance through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, ¹⁰ who died on our behalf so that whether we are alive or dead, we may live along with him. ¹¹ Therefore, encourage each other, and build each other up — just as you are doing.