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But as to the suitable times and the precise seasons and dates, brethren, you have no necessity for anything being written to you.

For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] Lord will come [as unexpectedly and suddenly] as a thief in the night.

When people are saying, All is well and secure, and, There is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin and death) will come upon them as suddenly as labor pains come upon a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape.

But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief.

For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we do not belong either to the night or to darkness.

Accordingly then, let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us keep wide awake (alert, watchful, cautious, and on our guard) and let us be sober (calm, collected, and circumspect).

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night.

But we belong to the day; therefore, let us be sober and put on the breastplate (corslet) of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)

10 Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ’s appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life.

11 Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.

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When is all this going to happen? I really don’t need to say anything about that, dear brothers, for you know perfectly well that no one knows. That day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “All is well; everything is quiet and peaceful”—then, all of a sudden, disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman’s birth pains begin when her child is born. And these people will not be able to get away anywhere—there will be no place to hide.

But, dear brothers, you are not in the dark about these things, and you won’t be surprised as by a thief when that day of the Lord comes. For you are all children of the light and of the day, and do not belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Watch for his return and stay sober. Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk. But let us who live in the light keep sober, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the happy hope of salvation.

For God has not chosen to pour out his anger upon us but to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ; 10 he died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return. 11 So encourage each other to build each other up, just as you are already doing.

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