1 Thessalonians 4

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.	1 Finally, brothers, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God--and as you are conducting yourselves--you do so even more.
2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.	2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:	3 This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality,
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;	4 that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor,
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:	5 not in lustful passion as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.	6 not to take advantage of or exploit a brother in this matter, for the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.	7 For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.	8 Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who (also) gives his holy Spirit to you.
9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.	9 On the subject of mutual charity you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;	10 Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Nevertheless we urge you, brothers, to progress even more,
11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;	11 and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your (own) hands, as we instructed you,
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.	12 that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not depend on anyone.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.	13 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.	14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.	15 Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord 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 first:	16 For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall 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.	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. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.	18 Therefore, console one another with these words.