1 Thessalonians 4:1-10

New American Standard Bible

Sanctification and Love

4 ^(A)Finally then, ^(B)brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to ^[a]^(C)walk and ^(D)please God (just as you actually do ^[b]walk), that you ^(E)excel even more. ²For you know what instructions we gave you ^[c]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you ^(F)abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴that ^(G)each of you know how to ^[d]possess his own ^[e]^(H)vessel in sanctification and ^(I)honor, ⁵not in ^[f]^(J)lustful passion, like the Gentiles who ^(K)do not know God; ⁶and that no one violate the rights and ^(L)take advantage of his brother or sister ^(M)in the matter, because ^(N)the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also ^(O)told you previously and solemnly warned you. ⁷For ^(P)God has not called us for ^[g]^(Q)impurity, but in sanctification. ⁸Therefore, the one who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who ^(R)gives His Holy Spirit to you.

⁹Now as to the ^(S)love of the brothers and sisters, you ^(T)have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are ^(U)taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰for indeed ^(V)you practice it toward all the brothers and sisters who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to ^(W)excel even more,

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Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or conduct yourselves
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or conduct yourselves
1 Thessalonians 4:2 Lit through the Lord
1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or acquire
1 Thessalonians 4:4 I.e., body; or wife
1 Thessalonians 4:5 Lit passion of lust
1 Thessalonians 4:7 I.e., moral corruption

Psalm 140

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

140 ^(A)Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
Protect me from ^(B)violent men
²Who ^(C)devise evil things in their hearts;
They ^(D)continually stir up wars.
³They ^(E)sharpen their tongues like a snake;
^(F)The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah

⁴^(G)Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
^(H)Protect me from violent men
Who ^[a]intend to ^[b]^(I)trip up my feet.
⁵The proud have ^(J)hidden a trap for me, and snares;
They have spread a ^(K)net at the ^[c]wayside;
They have set ^(L)snares for me. Selah

⁶I ^(M)said to the Lord, “You are my God;
^(N)Listen, Lord, to the ^(O)sound of my pleadings.
⁷^[d]God the Lord, ^(P)the strength of my salvation,
You have ^(Q)covered my head on the day of ^[e]battle.
⁸Do not grant, Lord, the ^(R)desires of the wicked;
Do not bring about ^(S)his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah

⁹“As for the head of those who surround me,
May the ^(T)harm of their lips cover them.
¹⁰May ^(U)burning coals fall upon them;
May they be ^(V)cast into the fire,
Into bottomless pits from which they ^(W)cannot rise.
¹¹May a ^[f]slanderer not endure on the earth;
^(X)May evil hunt a violent person ^[g]violently.”

¹²I know that the Lord will ^(Y)maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And ^(Z)justice for the poor.
¹³Certainly the ^(AA)righteous will give thanks to Your name;
The ^(AB)upright will dwell in Your presence.