1 Thessalonians 5

¹But concerning dates and times, brothers, you do not need us to write to you

²For you yourselves thoroughly understand that the day of the Lord shall arrive much like a thief in the night

³For when they will say, “Peace and security!” then destruction will suddenly overwhelm them, like the labor pains of a woman with child, and they will not escape

⁴But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that you would be overtaken by that day as by a thief

⁵For all of you are sons of light and sons of daytime; we are not of nighttime, nor of darkness

⁶Therefore, let us not sleep, as the rest do. Instead, we should be vigilant and sober

⁷For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are inebriated, are inebriated in the night

⁸But we, who are of the daylight, should be sober, being clothed with the breastplate of faith and of charity and having, as a helmet, the hope of salvation

⁹For God has not appointed us for wrath, but for the acquisition of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

¹⁰who died for us, so that, whether we watch, or whether we sleep, we may live in union with him

¹¹Because of this, console one another and build up one another, just as you are doing

¹²And we ask you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you, and who preside over you in the Lord, and who admonish you

¹³so that you may consider them with an abundance of charity, for the sake of their work. Be at peace with them

¹⁴And we ask you, brothers: correct the disruptive, console the weak-minded, support the sick, be patient with everyone

¹⁵See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone. Instead, always pursue whatever is good, with one another and with all

¹⁶Rejoice always

¹⁷Pray without ceasing

¹⁸Give thanks in everything. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for all of you

¹⁹Do not choose to extinguish the Spirit

²⁰Do not spurn prophecies

²¹But test all things. Hold on to whatever is good

²²Abstain from every kind of evil

²³And may the God of peace himself sanctify you through all things, so that your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved without blame unto the return of our Lord Jesus Christ

²⁴He who has called you is faithful. He shall act even now

²⁵Brothers, pray for us

²⁶Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss

²⁷I bind you, through the Lord, that this epistle is to be read to all the holy brothers

²⁸May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen