1 Finally, then, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and please God—as indeed you do walk—you should abound still 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 sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in passionate desire like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress or take advantage of his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not a human being but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

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. 10 Indeed, you do this toward all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to abound still more, 11 and to make it your ambition to live quietly, mind your own affairs, and work with your hands, just as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk respectably toward outsiders and have need of no one.

13 But we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so God will also, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For we say this to you by a word of the Lord: we who are alive, who remain until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a command, with an archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.