1 Finally, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more.2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity;4 that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor,5 not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God;6 that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you.7 For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness.8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.9 But concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another;10 and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedo'nia. But we exhort you, brethren, to do so more and more,11 to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you;12 so that you may command the respect of outsiders, and be dependent on nobody.13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first;17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 το λοιπον ουν αδελφοι ερωτωμεν υμας και παρακαλουμεν εν κυριω ιησου καθως παρελαβετε παρ ημων το πως δει υμας περιπατειν και αρεσκειν θεω ινα περισσευητε μαλλον2 οιδατε γαρ τινας παραγγελιας εδωκαμεν υμιν δια του κυριου ιησου3 τουτο γαρ εστιν θελημα του θεου ο αγιασμος υμων απεχεσθαι υμας απο της πορνειας4 ειδεναι εκαστον υμων το εαυτου σκευος κτασθαι εν αγιασμω και τιμη5 μη εν παθει επιθυμιας καθαπερ και τα εθνη τα μη ειδοτα τον θεον6 το μη υπερβαινειν και πλεονεκτειν εν τω πραγματι τον αδελφον αυτου διοτι εκδικος ο κυριος περι παντων τουτων καθως και προειπαμεν υμιν και διεμαρτυραμεθα7 ου γαρ εκαλεσεν ημας ο θεος επι ακαθαρσια αλλ εν αγιασμω8 τοιγαρουν ο αθετων ουκ ανθρωπον αθετει αλλα τον θεον τον και δοντα το πνευμα αυτου το αγιον εις ημας9 περι δε της φιλαδελφιας ου χρειαν εχετε γραφειν υμιν αυτοι γαρ υμεις θεοδιδακτοι εστε εις το αγαπαν αλληλους10 και γαρ ποιειτε αυτο εις παντας τους αδελφους τους εν ολη τη μακεδονια παρακαλουμεν δε υμας αδελφοι περισσευειν μαλλον11 και φιλοτιμεισθαι ησυχαζειν και πρασσειν τα ιδια και εργαζεσθαι ταις ιδιαις χερσιν υμων καθως υμιν παρηγγειλαμεν12 ινα περιπατητε ευσχημονως προς τους εξω και μηδενος χρειαν εχητε13 ου θελω δε υμας αγνοειν αδελφοι περι των κεκοιμημενων ινα μη λυπησθε καθως και οι λοιποι οι μη εχοντες ελπιδα14 ει γαρ πιστευομεν οτι ιησους απεθανεν και ανεστη ουτως και ο θεος τους κοιμηθεντας δια του ιησου αξει συν αυτω15 τουτο γαρ υμιν λεγομεν εν λογω κυριου οτι ημεις οι ζωντες οι περιλειπομενοι εις την παρουσιαν του κυριου ου μη φθασωμεν τους κοιμηθεντας16 οτι αυτος ο κυριος εν κελευσματι εν φωνη αρχαγγελου και εν σαλπιγγι θεου καταβησεται απ ουρανου και οι νεκροι εν χριστω αναστησονται πρωτον17 επειτα ημεις οι ζωντες οι περιλειπομενοι αμα συν αυτοις αρπαγησομεθα εν νεφελαις εις απαντησιν του κυριου εις αερα και ουτως παντοτε συν κυριω εσομεθα18 ωστε παρακαλειτε αλληλους εν τοις λογοις τουτοις