| Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. | Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. |
| So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. | Therefore, encourage one another and strengthen one another, as indeed you are doing. |
| But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. | Test everything, and hold fast to what is good. Avoid every form of evil. |
| God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. | The one who calls you is faithful, and he will accomplish this. |
| See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. | Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Rather, always aim to achieve what is best for each other and for everyone. |
| For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then 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 since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. | 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 be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. | So we must not fall asleep as the others do, but we must stay alert and sober. |
| And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. | May the Lord cause your love to increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as our love does for you. |
| God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. | 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. |
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