4:1 As for the rest of you, brothers and sisters, we plead with you on behalf of the Master Jesus, that you continue to practice what we told you about pleasing God, until it overflows in you.

4:2 You are well aware of the responsibilities we gave you through the Master Jesus;

4:3 what God wants from you is holiness. You are to stay away from promiscuity,

4:4 being aware that each of you must get control over every aspect of your life so that you are holy and honorable,

4:5 instead of being driven by passion like the non-Judeans who don’t know God.

4:6 And don’t take advantage of others in this matter, because the Master is the Avenger; we told you about all this before and certify it as true.

4:7 Since God does not call us to impurity but holy living,

4:8 it surely follows that the one who rejects this is not rejecting people but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

4:9 Now we have no need to write to you about love for the believers there, for you yourselves are instructed in this by God.

4:10 Not only that, but you also have this love toward all the believers in Macedonia. Yet we must plead with you, sisters and brothers, to reach even higher.

4:11 Strive for a quiet life, minding your own business and doing your own work, just as we directed you.

4:12 Then you will have a good reputation with outsiders and will lack nothing.

4:13 Now brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who have died, so that you do not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and then rose, so also will God raise the dead through Jesus.

4:15 We tell you this by the Word of the Master, that we who are alive when the Master appears will not be in line in front of those who have died.

4:16 For the Master himself will descend from heaven with the loud command of the Ruling Messenger and the trumpet of God. Those who were united with the Anointed when they died will rise first,

4:17 and then we who are alive will be snatched away at the same time with them in the clouds, to meet the Master in the air. Then we will always be together with the Master.

4:18 So comfort each other with these words.