1 Thessalonians 4
1. Furthermore then we beseech * you, brethren, and exhort * you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received * of us how ye ought * to walk * and to please * God, so ye would abound * more and more.
2. For ye know * what commandments we gave * you by the Lord Jesus.
3. For this is * the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain * from fornication:
4. That every one of you should know * how to possess * his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5. Not in the lust of concupiscence,even as the Gentiles which know * not God:
6. That no man go beyond * and defraud * his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we * also have forewarned * you and testified * .
7. For God hath * not called * us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8. He therefore that despiseth * , despiseth * not man, but God, who hath * also given * unto us his holy Spirit.
9. But as touching brotherly love ye need * not that I write * unto you: for ye yourselves are * taught of God to love * one another.
10. And indeed ye do * it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech * you, brethren, that ye increase * more and more;
11. And that ye study * to be quiet * , and to do * your own business,and to work with * your own hands, as we commanded * you;
12. That ye may walk * honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have * lack of nothing.
13. But I would * not have * you to be ignorant * , brethren, concerning them which are asleep * , that * ye sorrow * not, even as others which have * no hope.
14. For if we believe * that Jesus died * and rose again * , even so them also which sleep * in Jesus will * God bring * with him.
15. For this we say * unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive * and remain * unto the coming of the Lord shall * not prevent * them which are asleep * .
16. For the Lord himself shall descend * from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise * first:
17. Then we which are alive * and remain * shall be caught up * together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we * ever be * with the Lord.
18. Wherefore comfort * one another with these words.
