1 And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.
2 Because you have in mind the orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;
4 So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour;
5 Not in the passion of evil desires, like the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of God;
6 And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.
7 Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.
8 Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary;
10 And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;
11 And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;
12 That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.
13 But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.
14 For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.
16 Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first;
17 Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord.
18 So then, give comfort to one another with these words.
1 此外， 弟兄们， 我们在主耶稣里求你们， 劝你们， 你们既然接受了我们的教训， 知道应该怎样行事为人， 并且怎样讨 神喜悦， 就要照你们现在所行的更进一步。
2 我们凭着主耶稣传给你们的是什么命令， 你们是知道的。
3 神的旨意是要你们圣洁， 远避淫行；
4 要你们各人晓得怎样用圣洁尊贵的方法保守自己的身体（"身体"原文作"器皿"）；
5 不要放纵邪情私欲， 像那些不认识 神的外族人一样；
6 谁也不要在这事上越轨， 占弟兄的便宜， 因为这一类的事， 主必报应。这是我们从前告诉过你们， 又严严警戒过你们的。
7 神呼召我们， 不是要我们沾染污秽， 而是要我们圣洁。
8 所以那弃绝这命令的， 不是弃绝人， 而是弃绝把他自己的圣灵赐给你们的那位 神。
9 论到弟兄相爱， 用不着人写什么给你们， 因为你们自己受了 神的教导， 要彼此相爱。
10 其实， 你们向全马其顿所有的弟兄， 已经这样行了。但是， 弟兄们， 我们劝你们要更加彼此相爱；
11 又要立志过安静的生活， 办自己的事， 亲手作工， 正如我们从前吩咐过你们，
12 使你们行事为人可以得到外人的尊敬， 自己也不会有什么缺乏了。
13 弟兄们， 论到睡了的人， 我们不愿意你们不知道， 免得你们忧伤， 像那些没有盼望的人一样。
14 我们若信耶稣死了， 又复活了， 照样， 也应该相信那些靠着耶稣已经睡了的人， 神必定把他们和耶稣一同带来。
15 我们现在照着主的话告诉你们： 我们这些活着存留到主再来的人， 绝不能在那些睡了的人以先。
16 因为主必亲自从天降临， 那时， 有发令的声音， 有天使长的呼声， 还有 神的号声， 那些在基督里死了的人必先复活；
17 然后， 我们还活着存留的人， 必和他们一同被提到云里， 在空中与主相会。这样， 我们就要和主常常同在。
18 所以， 你们应该用这些话彼此劝慰。