1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual perversion;4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles, who do not know God;6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.7 For God did not call us to impurity, but in sanctification.8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you abound more and more;11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may have need of nothing.13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you sorrow not as others who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.15 For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.16 For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shouted command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together at the same time with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Therfor, britheren, fro hennus forward we preien you, and bisechen in the Lord Jhesu, that as ye han resseyued of vs, hou it bihoueth you to go and to plese God, so walke ye, that ye abounde the more.2 For ye witen what comaundementis Y haue youun to you bi the Lord Jhesu.3 For this is the wille of God, youre holynesse, that ye absteyne you fro fornycacioun.4 That ech of you kunne welde his vessel in holynesse, and onour;5 not in passioun of lust, as hethene men that knowen not God.6 And that no man ouergo, nethir disseyue his brothir in chaffaring. For the Lord is venger of alle these thingis, as we biforseiden to you, and han witnessid.7 For God clepide not vs in to vnclennesse, but in to holynesse.8 Therfor he that dispisith these thingis, dispisith not man, but God, that also yaf his holi spirit in vs.9 But of the charite of britherhed we hadden no nede to write to you; ye silf han lerud of God, that ye loue togidere;10 for ye don that in to alle britheren in al Macedonye. And, britheren, we preyen you, that ye abounde more; and taken kepe, that ye be quyet;11 and that ye do youre nede, and `ye worche with youre hoondis, as we han comaundid to you; and that ye wandre onestli to hem that ben with outforth, and that of no mannus ye desir ony thing.12 For, britheren, we wolen not, that ye vnknowe of men that dien, that ye be not soreuful, as othere that han not hope.13 For if we bileuen, that Jhesu was deed, and roos ayen, so God schal lede with hym hem that ben deed bi Jhesu.14 And we seien this thing to you in the word of the Lord, that we that lyuen, that ben left in the comyng of the Lord, schulen not come bifor hem that ben deed.15 For the Lord hym silf schal come doun fro heuene, in the comaundement, and in the vois of an archaungel, and in the trumpe of God; and the deed men that ben in Crist, schulen rise ayen first.16 Afterward we that lyuen, that ben left, schulen be rauyschid togidere with hem in cloudis, metinge Crist `in to the eir; and so euere more we schulen be with the Lord.17 Therfor be ye coumfortid togidere in these wordis.