1 Verder dan, broeders, vra en vermaan ons julle in die Here Jesus dat julle, soos julle van ons geleer het hoe julle moet wandel en God behaag, nog oorvloediger mag wees.

2 Want julle weet watter bevele ons julle deur die Here Jesus gegee het.

3 Want dit is die wil van God: julle heiligmaking; dat julle jul moet onthou van die hoerery;

4 dat elkeen van julle moet weet om sy eie vrou te verkry in heiligheid en eer,

5 nie in hartstogtelike begeerlikheid soos die heidene wat God nie ken nie;

6 dat niemand sy broeder in hierdie saak moet bedrieg en benadeel nie, omdat die Here 'n wreker is oor al hierdie dinge, soos ons aan julle ook vantevore gesê en betuig het.

7 Want God het ons nie tot onreinheid geroep nie, maar tot heiligmaking.

8 Daarom, hy wat dit verwerp, verwerp nie 'n mens nie, maar God wat ook sy Heilige Gees aan ons gegee het.

9 Oor die broederliefde het julle nie nodig dat ons julle skrywe nie, want julle is self deur God geleer om mekaar lief te hê;

10 en julle doen dit ook aan al die broeders in die hele Macedonië; maar ons vermaan julle, broeders, om oorvloediger te wees

11 en julle eer daarin te stel om rustig te lewe en julle eie sake te behartig en met julle eie hande te werk, soos ons julle beveel het,

12 sodat julle welvoeglik kan wandel teenoor die wat buite is, en aan niks behoefte mag hê nie.

13 Maar, broeders, ek wil nie hê dat julle onkundig moet wees met betrekking tot die ontslapenes nie, sodat julle nie treur soos die ander wat geen hoop het nie.

14 Want as ons glo dat Jesus gesterwe en opgestaan het, dan sal God ook so die wat in Jesus ontslaap het, saam met Hom bring.

15 Want dit sê ons vir julle deur die woord van die Here, dat ons wat in die lewe oorbly tot by die wederkoms van die Here, die ontslapenes hoegenaamd nie sal voor wees nie.

16 Want die Here self sal van die hemel neerdaal met 'n geroep, met die stem van 'n aartsengel en met geklank van die basuin van God; en die wat in Christus gesterf het, sal eerste opstaan.

17 Daarna sal ons wat in die lewe oorbly, saam met hulle in wolke weggevoer word die Here tegemoet in die lug; en so sal ons altyd by die Here wees.

18 Bemoedig mekaar dan met hierdie woorde.

1 Finally then, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk,—that ye abound more and more. 2 For ye know what charge we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; 4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; 6 that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. 7 For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8 Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.

9 But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; 10 for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more; 11 and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your hands, even as we charged you; 12 that ye may walk becomingly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing.

13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are 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; 17 then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.