Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. | Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. |
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. | Therefore, encourage one another and strengthen one another, as indeed you are doing. |
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The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. | The one who calls you is faithful, and he will accomplish this. |
But test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. | Test everything, and hold fast to what is good. Avoid every form of evil. |
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. | Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Rather, always aim to achieve what is best for each other and for everyone. |
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. | May the Lord cause your love to increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as our love does for you. |
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. 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. | When the command is given, at the sound of the archangel’s voice and the call of God’s trumpet, the Lord himself will descend from heaven, and those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise. Then those of us who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them on clouds in the air to meet the Lord. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. |
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. | For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so too do we believe that God will bring forth with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. |
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. | So we must not fall asleep as the others do, but we must stay alert and sober. |
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God. | It is the will of God that you should lead a life of sanctity. You must refrain from sexual immorality. Each of you must learn to acquire a wife from pure and honorable motives, not to gratify passion like the Gentiles who do not know God. |