1 Thessalonians 4

1 Furthermore then we urge you, brethren, and encourage you by (the faith of) the Lord Jesus, that (faith) which you have also (heard and) received from us how (the faith declares the way unto life and immortality by which) you ought to walk and to please God, so that you would abound more and more (in the fruit of His life).

2 For (that reason) you (should) know (and consider) what commandments were given you (in the faith) of the Lord Jesus.

3 For (harkening diligently to) this (faith) is the will of God, (because it is able to persuade you of) your sanctification (from death), so that you should (rest in Him and) abstain from fornication (with other gods that contain no ability to preserve your lives from perishing in death):

4 So that everyone of you would know (and be persuaded) to possess their dying bodies in (the certainty of) sanctification (from death) and (in the way fitting of the) honor (and value of the life He set us apart for, even unto immortality in our flesh);

5 Not in the passionate lust for life (to preserve our dying bodies with the life) you can serve yourselves (which perishes in death), even as the Gentiles who do not know (the faith of) God (wherein He provided the certainty that He will also glorify our bodies with immortality):

6 So that no man (transgress or) go beyond (the judgment of God) and defraud his brother in any matter: because concerning such things, the Lord is the avenger of them all, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7 For God has not called us for uncleanness, but for (His) life (that is undefiled by death which) He set apart for us (from the beginning).

8 Therefore he that despises (his brother), does not despise man, but God, (The One) who has also (freely) given unto us His Holy Spirit.

9 But as concerning brotherly love you do not need that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we implore you, brethren, that you (continue harkening to the faith so that you) increase more and more (in the fruit of His life);

11 And that you (would eagerly desire to) study to be quiet (still, in peace and rest before Him), and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you;

12 So that you may walk honestly toward them that are without (Christ), and so that you may have lack of nothing (not needing to rely upon men from without).

13 But I would not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those whose (bodies are) asleep (in the grave but are alive with Christ), so that you do not sorrow, like others who have no hope (without Christ in the world).

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also whose (bodies) sleep (in the grave but are alive) in Jesus will God bring with Him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain (in the body) until the coming of the Lord will not prevent those who are (present with the Lord but absent from their bodies) asleep (in the grave).

16 For the Lord Jesus 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 (from the grave) first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain (in the body) shall (be changed in the twinkling of an eye and) 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 (for all the ages to come).

18 Therefore (let us) comfort one another with these words.