Encouraged by Timothy

6 gBut now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, has we also to see you—7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress iwe were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you jstand fast in the Lord.

9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face kand perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Prayer for the Church

11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, ldirect our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and mabound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish nyour hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Plea for Purity

4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus athat you should abound more and more, bjust as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is cthe will of God, dyour sanctification: ethat you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 fthat each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 gnot in passion of lust, hlike the Gentiles iwho do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord jis the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, kbut in holiness. 8 lTherefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, mwho 1has also given us His Holy Spirit.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for nyou yourselves are taught by God oto love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, pthat you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, qto mind your own business, and rto work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 sthat you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, 2 lest you sorrow tas others uwho have no hope. 14 For vif we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him wthose who 3sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you xby the word of the Lord, that ywe who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are 4asleep. 16 For zthe Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with athe trumpet of God. bAnd the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 cThen we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them din the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ewe shall always be with the Lord. 18 fTherefore comfort one another with these words.