New International Version NIV
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
1
Finally, brothers and sisters, we taught you how to live in a way that pleases God. In fact, that is how you are living. In the name of the Lord Jesus we ask and beg you to do it more and more.
2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
2
You know the directions we gave you. They were given by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
3
God wants you to be made holy. He wants you to stay away from sexual sins.
4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
4
He wants all of you to learn to control your own bodies. You must live in a way that is holy. You must live with honor.
5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;
5
Don't long to commit sexual sins like those who don't know God.
6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.
6
None of you should sin against your brother by doing that. You should not take advantage of him. The Lord will punish everyone who commits those kinds of sins. We have already told you and warned you about that.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
7
God chose us to live pure lives. He wants us to be holy.
8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
8
So if you refuse to accept my teaching, you turn your back on God, not on people. God gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 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.
9
We don't need to write to you about love among believers. God himself has taught you to love each other.
10 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,
10
In fact, you do love all the brothers and sisters all around Macedonia. But we are asking you to love each other more and more.
11 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,
11
Do everything you can to live a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands, just as we told you to.
12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
12
Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won't have to depend on anyone.
13 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.
13
Brothers and sisters, we want you to know what happens to those who die. We don't want you to be sad, as other people are. They don't have any hope.
14 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.
14
We believe that Jesus died and rose again. When he returns, many who believe in him will have died already. We believe that God will bring them back with Jesus.
15 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.
15
That agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died.
16 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.
16
The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God's trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first.
17 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.
17
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
18
So cheer each other up with these words of comfort.
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.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.