GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
9 You don't need anyone to write to you about the way Christians should love each other. God has taught you to love each other.
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Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
10 In fact, you are showing love to all the Christians throughout the province of Macedonia. We encourage you as believers to excel in love even more.
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And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,
11 Also, make it your goal to live quietly, do your work, and earn your own living, as we ordered you.
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and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,
12 Then your way of life will win respect from those outside [the church], and you won't have to depend on anyone else for what you need.
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so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
13 Brothers and sisters, we don't want you to be ignorant about those who have died. We don't want you to grieve like other people who have no hope.
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Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and came back to life. We also believe that, through Jesus, God will bring back those who have died. They will come back with Jesus.
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For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 We are telling you what the Lord taught. We who are still alive when the Lord comes will not go [into his kingdom] ahead of those who have already died.
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According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 The Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet [call] of God. First, the dead who believed in Christ will come back to life.
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For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive will be taken in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. In this way we will always be with the Lord.
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After that, we who are still 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 be with the Lord forever.
18 So then, comfort each other with these words!
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Therefore encourage one another with these words.
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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.