1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

New King James Version

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[a]asleep, lest you sorrow ^(A)as others ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴For ^(C)if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him ^(D)those who ^[b]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵For this we say to you ^(E)by the word of the Lord, that ^(F)we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[c]asleep. ¹⁶For ^(G)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^(H)the trumpet of God. ^(I)And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷^(J)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them ^(K)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ^(L)we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸^(M)Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 But concerning ^(N)the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ²For you yourselves know perfectly that ^(O)the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then ^(P)sudden destruction comes upon them, ^(Q)as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴^(R)But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵You are all ^(S)sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶^(T)Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but ^(U)let us watch and be ^[d]sober. ⁷For ^(V)those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk ^(W)are drunk at night. ⁸But let us who are of the day be sober, ^(X)putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹For ^(Y)God did not appoint us to wrath, ^(Z)but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰^(AA)who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.