III. Wherefore, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone; 2and sent Timothy, our brother, and a fellow-worker with God in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to exhort you concerning your faith; 3that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, for yourselves know that unto this we are appointed. 4For even when we were with you, we told you before that we are to suffer affliction; as also it came to pass, and ye know. 5For this cause, when I too could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter tempted you, and our labor should be in vain.
6But now, when Timothy came to us from you, and brought us good tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you; 7for this cause we were consoled, brethren, over you in all our affliction and distress, through your faith; 8because now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. 9For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we rejoice for your sakes before our God; 10night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
11Now God and our Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12And the Lord make you increase and abound in love toward one another, and toward all, as we also do toward you; 13to the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God and our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
IV. Furthermore then, brethren, we beseech you, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as ye received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, as also ye are walking, ye would abound yet more. 2For ye know what commands we gave you, through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; 4that each one of you know how to possess[4] his vessel in sanctification and honor; 5not in lustful passion, as also the Gentiles who know not God. 6That no one go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter[6]; because the Lord is the avenger for all these things, as we also told you before, and testified. 7For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8Therefore he that rejects, rejects not man, but God, who also gave to you his Holy Spirit.
9But concerning brotherly love ye need not that I write to you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 10For indeed ye do it, toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, to abound yet more; 11and to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12that ye may walk becomingly toward those without, and may have need of nothing.
13But we desire that you should not be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are sleeping, that ye sorrow not, as others who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also those who fell asleep through Jesus will God bring with him.
15For this we say to you, in the word of the Lord, that we the living, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who fell asleep. 16Because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ will first rise. 17Then we the living, who remain, will be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18Wherefore, encourage one another with these words.
V. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write to you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief. 5For all ye are sons of light, and sons of day; we are not of night, nor of darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunken, are drunken in the night. 8But let us, being of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation; 9because God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ; 10who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Wherefore encourage each other, and edify one the other, as also ye do.