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Chapter 5

Vigilance. Concerning times and seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you.(A) For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.(B) When people are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief.(C) For all of you are children of the light[a] and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 5:5 Children of the light: that is, belonging to the daylight of God’s personal revelation and expected to achieve it (an analogous development of imagery that appears in Jn 12:36).

Be Ready for the Lord's Coming

There is no need to write you, friends, about the times and occasions when these things will happen. (A)For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief comes at night. When people say, “Everything is quiet and safe,” then suddenly destruction will hit them! It will come as suddenly as the pains that come upon a woman in labor, and people will not escape. But you, friends, are not in the darkness, and the Day should not take you by surprise like a thief. All of you are people who belong to the light, who belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, we should not be sleeping like the others; we should be awake and sober.

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Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters,[a] you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved,[b] are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober;

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 5:1 Gk brothers
  2. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 Gk brothers

The Day of the Lord

Now as to the (A)periods and [a]times, brothers and sisters, you (B)have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that (C)the day of the Lord is coming (D)just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “(E)Peace and safety!” then (F)sudden destruction [b]will come upon them like (G)labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in (H)darkness, so that the day would overtake you [c](I)like a thief; for you are all (J)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of (K)darkness; so then, let’s not (L)sleep as [d](M)others do, but let’s be alert and [e](N)sober.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 5:1 I.e., the end times
  2. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 Lit is coming
  3. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 One early ms like thieves
  4. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Lit the rest (of mankind)
  5. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Or self-controlled

The Day of the Lord

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates(A) we do not need to write to you,(B) for you know very well that the day of the Lord(C) will come like a thief in the night.(D) While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”(E) destruction will come on them suddenly,(F) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.(G)

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness(H) so that this day should surprise you like a thief.(I) You are all children of the light(J) and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,(K) but let us be awake(L) and sober.(M)

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For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him.[a] 11 Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 5:10 Characteristically, Paul plays on words suggesting ultimate and anticipated death and life. Union with the crucified and risen Lord at his parousia is anticipated in some measure in contrasted states of our temporal life. The essential element he urges is our indestructible personal union in Christ’s own life (see Rom 5:1–10).

God did not choose us to suffer his anger, but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us in order that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes. 11 And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing.

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For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

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For God has not destined us for (A)wrath, but for (B)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 (C)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, [a]encourage one another and (D)build one another up, just as you also are doing.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Or comfort

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath(A) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.(B) 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.(C) 11 Therefore encourage one another(D) and build each other up,(E) just as in fact you are doing.

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