The Day of the Lord

¹Now siblings, concerning the times and the seasons, y’all don’t need anything to be written to you*.

²For y’all know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

³While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and then there will be no escape.

⁴But siblings, y’all aren’t in darkness where the day could overtake you* like a thief.

⁵Y’all are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night or to the darkness.

⁶So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.

⁸But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation.

⁹For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰who died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him.

¹¹Therefore y’all should encourage one another and build each other up, just as y’all are already doing.

Exhortations and Blessings

¹²Now we ask y’all, siblings, to acknowledge those who work diligently among y’all, who lead y’all in the Lord and who admonish y’all.

¹³Respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake.

Y’all should live in peace with each other.

¹⁴Siblings, we urge y’all: y’all must warn the undisciplined, encourage the disheartened, support the weak, and be patient with everyone.

¹⁵Y’all see to it that no one pays back evil with evil. Instead, y’all should always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

¹⁶Rejoice always, y’all.

¹⁷Pray constantly, y’all.

¹⁸Give thanks in everything, y’all. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in y’all.

¹⁹Y’all must not quench the Spirit.

²⁰Y’all must not despise prophecies.

²¹Instead y’all should test all things, and hold firmly to what is excellent.

²²Y’all must stay away from every form of evil.

²³May the God of peace ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ sanctify y’all completely. May y’all’s whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Hᴇ who calls y’all is faithful, and ʜᴇ will make it happen.

²⁵Siblings, pray for us, y’all.

²⁶Y’all greet all the siblings with a holy kiss.

²⁷I solemnly command y’all by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy siblings.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with y’all.