1Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God — as you are doing Lit walking — do so even more.

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

3For this is God’s will, 1Th 5:18 your sanctification: Rm 6:19,22; 1Co 1:30; 2Th 2:13; 1Tm 2:15; Heb 12:14; 1Pt 1:2 that you abstain 1Tm 4:3 from sexual immorality,

4so that each of you knows how to control his own body Or to acquire his own wife ; lit to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

5not with lustful desires, 2Pt 1:4; 2:10 like the Gentiles who don’t know God.

6This means one must not transgress against and defraud 2Co 12:17 his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, Lit things as we also previously told and warned you.

7For God has not called us to impurity Mt 23:27; 2Co 12:21; Gl 5:19; Eph 4:19; 5:3; Col 3:5; 1Th 2:3 but to sanctification.

8Therefore, the person who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who also gives you His Holy Spirit. Ps 51:11; Jn 1:33; Ac 2:4; Rm 8:9; Gl 5:25; Ti 3:5; 1Jn 5:8; Rv 3:22

9About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God Jn 6:45 to love one another. 1Jn 3:11

10In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. Ac 16:9 But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more,

11to seek to lead a quiet life, Lk 14:4; 23:56; Ac 11:18; 21:14 to mind your own business, Lit to practice one’s own things and to work 2Th 3:12; 2Jn 8 with your own hands, as we commanded you,

12so that you may walk properly Or may live respectably Rm 13:13; 1Co 14:40 in the presence of outsiders Non-Christians and not be dependent on anyone. Or not need anything, or not be in need Eph 4:28

13We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Jr 14:19; Eph 2:12; 1Th 1:3

14Since we believe that Jesus died and rose Lk 18:33 again, Rm 14:9,15; 1Co 8:11; 15:3-4; 2Co 5:15 in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Or in Jesus. Jn 14:19; Rm 8:11; 1Co 6:14; 15:18-20; 2Co 4:14; Php 1:23

15For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: Or a word of the Lord 2Pt 1:21; Rv 11:8 We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming 1Jn 2:28 will certainly have no advantage over Or certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 1Co 15:51

16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, Or command Jn 5:25 with the archangel’s Jd 9 voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ Rm 16:7; 1Co 15:18; 1Pt 5:14; Rv 14:13; 20:5 will rise first.

17Then 1Co 15:23,51-52 we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds Mt 26:64 to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord.

18Therefore encourage Or comfort one another with these words.