not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God.

But you, brothers and sisters, ¹  are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.

¹  although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became ²  little children ³  among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, ¹  brothers and sisters, ²  about those who are asleep, ³  so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

Now when ¹  they are saying, “There is peace and security,” ²  then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains ³  on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape.

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord ¹  will come in the same way as a thief in the night. ² 

As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his own children,

So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober.

in that ¹  our gospel did not come to you merely in words, ²  but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). ³ 

For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, ¹  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,