Living to Please God

1 Λοιπὸν (Finally) οὖν (then), ἀδελφοί (brothers), ἐρωτῶμεν (we ask) ὑμᾶς (you⁺) καὶ (and) παρακαλοῦμεν (exhort) ἐν (in) Κυρίῳ (the Lord) Ἰησοῦ (Jesus), ἵνα (that) καθὼς (just as) παρελάβετε (you⁺ received) παρ’ (from) ἡμῶν (us) τὸ (-) πῶς (how) δεῖ (it is necessary for) ὑμᾶς (you⁺) περιπατεῖν (to walk) καὶ (and) ἀρέσκειν (to please) Θεῷ (God), καθὼς (just as) καὶ (also) περιπατεῖτε (you⁺ walk), ἵνα (that) περισσεύητε (you⁺ may abound) μᾶλλον (more). 2 οἴδατε (You⁺ know) γὰρ (for) τίνας (what) παραγγελίας (instructions) ἐδώκαμεν (we gave) ὑμῖν (you⁺) διὰ (through) τοῦ (the) Κυρίου (Lord) Ἰησοῦ (Jesus).

3 Τοῦτο (This) γάρ (for) ἐστιν (is) θέλημα (the will) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God), ὁ (the) ἁγιασμὸς (sanctification) ὑμῶν (of you⁺), ἀπέχεσθαι (To abstain) ὑμᾶς (you⁺) ἀπὸ (from) τῆς (-) πορνείας (sexual immorality), 4 εἰδέναι (to know) ἕκαστον (each) ὑμῶν (of you⁺ how) τὸ (the) ἑαυτοῦ (of himself) σκεῦος (vessel) κτᾶσθαι (to control) ἐν (in) ἁγιασμῷ (sanctification) καὶ (and) τιμῇ (honor), 5 μὴ (not) ἐν (in) πάθει (the passion) ἐπιθυμίας (of lust) καθάπερ (just as) καὶ (also) τὰ (the) ἔθνη (Gentiles) τὰ (those) μὴ (not) εἰδότα (knowing) τὸν (-) Θεόν (God), 6 τὸ (-) μὴ (not) ὑπερβαίνειν (to go beyond) καὶ (and) πλεονεκτεῖν (to take advantage of) ἐν (in) τῷ (the) πράγματι (matter) τὸν (the) ἀδελφὸν (brother) αὐτοῦ (of him), διότι (because) ἔκδικος (avenging is) Κύριος (the Lord) περὶ (concerning) πάντων (all) τούτων (these things), καθὼς (just as) καὶ (also) προείπαμεν (we said before) ὑμῖν (to you⁺) καὶ (and) διεμαρτυράμεθα (earnestly testified). 7 οὐ (Not) γὰρ (for) ἐκάλεσεν (called) ἡμᾶς (us) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἐπὶ (to) ἀκαθαρσίᾳ (impurity) ἀλλ’ (but) ἐν (in) ἁγιασμῷ (sanctification). 8 τοιγαροῦν (So then) ὁ (the one) ἀθετῶν (setting this aside) οὐκ (not) ἄνθρωπον (man) ἀθετεῖ (sets aside) ἀλλὰ (but) τὸν (-) Θεὸν (God) τὸν (the One) καὶ (also) διδόντα (giving) τὸ (the) Πνεῦμα (Spirit) αὐτοῦ (of Him) τὸ (-) ἅγιον (Holy) εἰς (to) ὑμᾶς (you⁺).

9 Περὶ (Concerning) δὲ (now) τῆς (-) φιλαδελφίας (brotherly love) οὐ (no) χρείαν (need) ἔχετε (you⁺ have for one) γράφειν (to write) ὑμῖν (to you⁺)· αὐτοὶ (yourselves) γὰρ (for) ὑμεῖς (you⁺) θεοδίδακτοί (taught by God) ἐστε (are) εἰς (-) τὸ (-) ἀγαπᾶν (to love) ἀλλήλους (one another)· 10 καὶ (Also) γὰρ (for) ποιεῖτε (you⁺ are doing) αὐτὸ (this) εἰς (to) πάντας (all) τοὺς (the) ἀδελφοὺς (brothers) τοὺς (the ones) ἐν (in) ὅλῃ (all) τῇ (-) Μακεδονίᾳ (Macedonia). Παρακαλοῦμεν (We exhort) δὲ (however) ὑμᾶς (you⁺), ἀδελφοί (brothers), περισσεύειν (to abound) μᾶλλον (more), 11 καὶ (and) φιλοτιμεῖσθαι (to strive earnestly) ἡσυχάζειν (to live quietly) καὶ (and) πράσσειν (to do) τὰ (things) ἴδια (your own) καὶ (and) ἐργάζεσθαι (to work with) ταῖς (the) ἰδίαις (own) χερσὶν (hands) ὑμῶν (of you⁺), καθὼς (just as) ὑμῖν (you⁺) παρηγγείλαμεν (we commanded), 12 ἵνα (so that) περιπατῆτε (you⁺ may walk) εὐσχημόνως (properly) πρὸς (toward) τοὺς (those) ἔξω (outside) καὶ (and) μηδενὸς (of no one) χρείαν (need) ἔχητε (may have).

The Return of the Lord

13 Οὐ (Not) θέλομεν (we want) δὲ (but) ὑμᾶς (you⁺) ἀγνοεῖν (to be ignorant), ἀδελφοί (brothers), περὶ (concerning) τῶν (those) κοιμωμένων (having fallen asleep), ἵνα (so that) μὴ (not) λυπῆσθε (you⁺ should be grieved) καθὼς (just as) καὶ (also) οἱ (the) λοιποὶ (rest) οἱ (those) μὴ (no) ἔχοντες (having) ἐλπίδα (hope). 14 εἰ (If) γὰρ (for) πιστεύομεν (we believe) ὅτι (that) Ἰησοῦς (Jesus) ἀπέθανεν (died) καὶ (and) ἀνέστη (rose again), οὕτως (so) καὶ (also) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) τοὺς (those) κοιμηθέντας (having fallen asleep) διὰ (through) τοῦ (-) Ἰησοῦ (Jesus) ἄξει (will bring) σὺν (with) αὐτῷ (Him).

15 Τοῦτο (This) γὰρ (for) ὑμῖν (to you⁺) λέγομεν (we say) ἐν (in) λόγῳ (the word) Κυρίου (of the Lord), ὅτι (that) ἡμεῖς (we) οἱ (the) ζῶντες (living) οἱ (-) περιλειπόμενοι (remaining) εἰς (unto) τὴν (the) παρουσίαν (coming) τοῦ (of the) Κυρίου (Lord) οὐ (no) μὴ (not) φθάσωμεν (shall precede) τοὺς (those) κοιμηθέντας (having fallen asleep)· 16 ὅτι (because) αὐτὸς (Himself) ὁ (the) Κύριος (Lord) ἐν (with) κελεύσματι (a loud command), ἐν (with) φωνῇ (the voice) ἀρχαγγέλου (of an archangel) καὶ (and) ἐν (with) σάλπιγγι (the trumpet) Θεοῦ (of God), καταβήσεται (will descend) ἀπ’ (from) οὐρανοῦ (heaven), καὶ (and) οἱ (the) νεκροὶ (dead) ἐν (in) Χριστῷ (Christ) ἀναστήσονται (will rise) πρῶτον (first), 17 ἔπειτα (Then) ἡμεῖς (we) οἱ (the) ζῶντες (living) οἱ (-) περιλειπόμενοι (remaining) ἅμα (together) σὺν (with) αὐτοῖς (them) ἁρπαγησόμεθα (will be caught up) ἐν (in) νεφέλαις (the clouds) εἰς (for) ἀπάντησιν (the meeting) τοῦ (of the) Κυρίου (Lord) εἰς (in) ἀέρα (the air)· καὶ (and) οὕτως (so) πάντοτε (always) σὺν (with) Κυρίῳ (the Lord) ἐσόμεθα (we will be).

18 Ὥστε (Therefore) παρακαλεῖτε (encourage) ἀλλήλους (one another) ἐν (in) τοῖς (the) λόγοις (words) τούτοις (these).