1 Finally, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, just as you received instructions from us on how you ought to live and please God, that you would excel even more.

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 For you know the commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is God’s will: your sanctification—that you abstain from sexual immorality.

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4 That each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.

Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

6 And that no one transgresses or defrauds their brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these things, as we have forewarned and solemnly testified to you.

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7 For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness.

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 Therefore, whoever disregards this does not reject man but God, who also gives His Holy Spirit to you.

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 And indeed you are doing this toward all the brothers in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel even more.

And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

11 And to make it your ambition to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12 so that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

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 After that, we who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Therefore, encourage one another with these words.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.