1 Thessalonians 4:9-18

English Standard Version

⁹ Now concerning ^(A)brotherly love ^(B)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been ^(C)taught by God ^(D)to love one another, ¹⁰ for that indeed is what ^(E)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ^(F)do this more and more, ¹¹ and to aspire ^(G)to live quietly, and ^(H)to mind your own affairs, and ^(I)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, ¹² so that you may ^(J)walk properly before ^(K)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, ^(L)that you may not grieve as others do ^(M)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(N)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(O)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you ^(P)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(Q)we who are alive, who are left until ^(R)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(S)the Lord himself will descend ^(T)from heaven ^(U)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(V)an archangel, and ^(W)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(X)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(Y)caught up together with them ^(Z)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(AA)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.