1Finally, dear brothers and sisters, and we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus, that you live in a way that is pleasing to God, as we have taught you, and do that more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, that you be sanctified, that you should abstain from the sin of sexual immorality; 4That each of you should learn how to control your body in sanctification and honor, 5And not indulge in the lust of sensuality, as the Gentiles (pagans) do, who do not know God; 6That no one harms or defrauds his brother or sister in any matter; because the Lord is the avenger Who will punish all such behavior, as we have already forewarned you. 7For God has not called us to sinfulness, but to holiness. 8Therefore, those that despise these instructions do not despise man, but God, Who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

9But I have no need to write to you about your brotherly love; for God Himself has taught you to love one another. 10And, indeed, you do love all the brethren in Macedonia. And yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to love them more and more, 11And that you endeavor to live quiet lives, mind your own business, and work with your hands, as we have told you, 12That you may win the respect of those who are not believers, and so that you do not depend upon others.

13But we would not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, regarding those who are asleep in death - that you not grieve, as others who have no hope. 14For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus (believers who have died). 15We tell you this directly from the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the return of the Lord shall not precede those believers who have died. 16For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17Then, after that, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall ever be with the Lord. 18Therefore, comfort and encourage one another with these words.