and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they constantly fill up their measure of sins, but wrath has come upon them completely.

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night.

For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you – it has not proven to be purposeless.

so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

He died for us so that whether we are alert or asleep we will come to life together with him.

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

For who is our hope or joy or crown to boast of before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not of course you?

Now may God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.

In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him, because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.

Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

Now when they are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.

For people everywhere report how you welcomed us and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.