Living to Please God

1Finally, brothers (and sisters), we ask and encourage you⁺ in the Lord {Kyriō} Jesus (YHWH saves) to live in a way that is pleasing to God {Theō}, just as you⁺ have received from us. This is how you⁺ already live, so you⁺ should do so all the more. 2For you⁺ know the instructions we gave you⁺ by the authority of the Lord {Kyriou} Jesus (YHWH saves).

3For it is God’s {Theou} will that you⁺ should be holy: You⁺ must abstain from sexual immorality {porneias}; 4each of you⁺ must know how to control his own body \know how to possess his own vessel/a in holiness and honor, 5not in lustful passion like the Gentiles {ethnē} who do not know God {Theon}; 6and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard,b because the Lord {Kyrios} will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you⁺ and solemnly warned you. 7For God {Theos} has not called us to impurity (uncleanness), but to holiness. 8Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God {Theon}, the very One who gives you⁺ His Holy Spirit {Pneuma}.

9Now about brotherly love {philadelphias}, you⁺ do not need anyone to write to you⁺, because you⁺ yourselves have been taught by God {theodidaktoi} to love {agapan} one another. 10And you⁺ are indeed showing this love to all the brothers (and sisters) throughout Macedonia. But we urge you⁺, brothers, to excel more and more 11and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your⁺ own hands, as we instructed you⁺. 12Then you⁺ will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

The Return of the Lord

13Brothers, we do not want you⁺ to be uninformed about those who sleep in death \those who have fallen asleep/,c so that you⁺ will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus (YHWH saves) died and rose again, we also believe that God {Theos} will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

15By the word of the Lord {Kyriou}, we declare to you⁺ that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord {Kyrios} Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God {Theou}, and the dead in Christ (the Anointed One) will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord {Kyriou} in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord {Kyriō}.

18Therefore encourage one another with these words.