1 Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus,
that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please
God, that you abound more and more. 2 For you know what charge
we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God: your
sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, 4 that each
one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification
and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t
know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or
sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as
also we forewarned you and testified. 7 For God called us not for
uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8 Therefore he who rejects doesn’t
reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to
you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, 10 for
indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But
we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; 11 and that
you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own
business, and to work with your own hands, even as we charged you; 12 that
you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of
nothing.
13 But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who
have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no
hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those
who have fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we
tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the
coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise
first, 17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the
Lord forever. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
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