First Letter to the Thessalonians 5

¹ You will not be expecting us to write anything to you, brothers, about ‘times and seasons’,

² since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night.

³ It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens, as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman; and there will be no way for anybody to evade it.

⁴ But it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that Day to overtake you like a thief.

⁵ No, you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness,

⁶ so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober.

⁷ Night is the time for sleepers to sleep and drunkards to be drunk,

⁸ but we belong to the day and we should be sober; let us put on faith and love for a breastplate, and the hope of salvation for a helmet.

⁹ God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰ who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him.

¹¹ So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already.

¹² We appeal to you, my brothers, to be considerate to those who are working amongst you and are above you in the Lord as your teachers.

¹³ Have the greatest respect and affection for them because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴ And this is what we ask you to do, brothers: warn the idlers, give courage to those who are apprehensive, care for the weak and be patient with everyone.

¹⁵ Make sure that people do not try to take revenge; you must all think of what is best for each other and for the community.

¹⁶ Be happy at all times;

¹⁷ pray constantly;

¹⁸ and for all things give thanks to God, because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Never try to suppress the Spirit

²⁰ or treat the gift of prophecy with contempt;

²¹ think before you do anything – hold on to what is good

²² and avoid every form of evil.

²³ May the God of peace make you perfect and holy; and may you all be kept safe and blameless, spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴ God has called you and he will not fail you.

²⁵ Pray for us, my brothers.

²⁶ Greet all the brothers with the holy kiss.

²⁷ My orders, in the Lord’s name, are that this letter is to be read to all the brothers.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.