aFinally then
, bbrethren
, we request
and exhort
you in the Lord
Jesus
, that as you received
from us instruction as to how
you ought
to 1 cwalk
and dplease
God
(just
as you actually
do 1walk
), that you eexcel
still
more
.
For you know what
commandments
we gave
you 1by the authority of the Lord
Jesus
.
For this is the will
of God
, your sanctification
; that is, that you aabstain
from 1sexual
immorality
;
that aeach of you know
how
to 1possess
his own
2 bvessel
in sanctification
and chonor
,
not in 1 alustful passion
, like
the Gentiles
who bdo not know
God
;
and that no man transgress
and adefraud
his brother
bin the matter
because
cthe Lord
is the avenger
in all
these
things
, just
as we also
dtold
you before
and solemnly
warned
you.
For aGod has not called
us for bthe purpose of impurity
, but 1in sanctification
.
So, he who rejects
this is not rejecting
man
but the God
who agives
His Holy
Spirit
to you.
Now as to the alove
of the brethren
, you bhave
no
need
for anyone to write
to you, for you yourselves
are ctaught
by God
to love
one
another
;
for indeed ayou do practice
it toward
all
the brethren
who
are in all
Macedonia
. But we urge
you, brethren
, to bexcel
still
more
,
and to make it your ambition
ato lead
a quiet
life
and battend
to your own
business and cwork
with your hands
, just
as we commanded
you,
so that you will 1 abehave
properly
toward
boutsiders
and 2 cnot be in any
need
.
But awe do not want you to be uninformed
, brethren
, about
those
who bare asleep
, so
that you will not grieve
as do cthe rest
who have
dno
hope
.
For if we believe
that Jesus
died
and rose
again
, aeven
so
God
will bring
with Him bthose
who have fallen
asleep
1in Jesus
.
For this we say
to you aby the word
of the Lord
, that bwe who are alive
1and remain
until
cthe coming
of the Lord
, will not precede
dthose
who have fallen
asleep
.
For the Lord aHimself
bwill descend
from heaven
with a 1 cshout
, with the voice
of dthe archangel
and with the etrumpet
of God
, and fthe dead
in Christ
will rise
first
.
Then awe who are alive
1and remain
will be bcaught
up together
with them cin the clouds
to meet
the Lord
in the air
, and so
we shall always
dbe with the Lord
.
Therefore comfort
one
another
with these
words
.