5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you.^{(A) 2} For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.^{(B) 3} 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!^{(C) 4} But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief;^{(D) 5} for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. ⁶ So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober,^{(E) 7} for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.^{(F) 8} But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation.^{(G) 9} For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,^{(H) 10} who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.^{(I) 11} Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Final Exhortations, Greetings, and Benediction

¹² But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you;^{(J) 13} esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.^{(K) 15} See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.^{(L) 16} Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast to what is good;^{(M) 22} abstain from every form of evil.

²³ May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound^[a] and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(N) 24} The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.^(O)

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us.^(P)

²⁶ Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters.^(Q)

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^[b]

Nicodemus Visits Jesus

3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus^[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.”^{(A) 3} Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”^{[b](B) 4} Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.^{(C) 6} What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You^[c] must be born from above.’^{[d] 8} The wind^[e] blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”^{(D) 9} Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”^{(E) 10} Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

¹¹ “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you^[f] do not receive our testimony.^{(F) 12} If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.^{[g](G) 14} And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,^{(H) 15} that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.^[h](I)

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.^(J)

¹⁷ “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.^{(K) 18} Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.^{(L) 19} And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.^{(M) 20} For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.^{(N) 21} But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”^[i](O)