An Urgent Appeal

¹¹ Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;^(A)

⁷ The end of all things is near;^[a] therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.^(A)

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,^{(A) 7} for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.^{(B) 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.^(C)

¹⁴ for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

³⁵ Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn,^{(A) 36} or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

³⁴ Sober up, as you rightly ought to, and sin no more, for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.^(A)

¹³ But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.^(A)

Final Exhortation and Doxology

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish,^{(B) 15} and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,^(C)

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)

⁴² Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day^[a] your Lord is coming.^{(A) 43} But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.^{(B) 44} Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.^(C)

²⁰ The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!^(A)