1 Thessalonians 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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.	1 Therefore, concerning other things, brothers, we ask and beg you, in the Lord Jesus, that, just as you have received from us the way in which you ought to walk and to please God, so also may you walk, in order that you may abound all the more.
2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.	2 For you know what precepts I have given to you through the Lord Jesus.
3 This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality,	3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication,
4 that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor,	4 that each one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not in lustful passion as do the Gentiles who do not know God;	5 not in passions of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God,
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.	6 and that no one should overwhelm or circumvent his brother in business. For the Lord is the vindicator of all these things, just as we have preached and testified to you.
7 For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.	7 For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification.
8 Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not a human being but God, who (also) gives his holy Spirit to you.	8 And so, whoever despises these teachings, does not despise man, but God, who has even provided his Holy Spirit within us.
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.	9 But concerning the charity of brotherhood, we have no need to write to you. For you yourselves have learned from God that you should love one another.
10 Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Nevertheless we urge you, brothers, to progress even more,	10 For indeed, you act in this way with all the brothers in all of Macedonia. But we petition you, brothers, so that you may abound all the more,
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,	11 to choose work that allows you to be tranquil, and to carry out your business and to do your work with your own hands, just as we have instructed you,
12 that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not depend on anyone.	12 and to walk honestly with those who are outside, and to desire nothing belonging to another.
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.	13 And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.	14 For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him.
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.	15 For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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.	16 For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up 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. Thus we shall always be with the Lord.	17 Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always.
18 Therefore, console one another with these words.	18 Therefore, console one another with these words.