1 Thessalonians 5

¹Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you;

²for you yourselves know accurately that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.

³When they say, 'Peace and security,' then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will by no means escape.

⁴But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that the day should overtake you like a thief;

⁵for you are all sons of light and sons of day; we are not of night or of darkness.

⁶So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us be watchful and sober.

⁷for those who sleep, sleep by night, and those who get drunk are drunk by night.

⁸But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation;

⁹because God has not destined us for wrath, but for the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰the one who died for us, so that whether we are awake or whether we sleep, we may live together with him.

¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as indeed you are doing.

¹²But we ask you, brothers, to know those who toil among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,

¹³and to esteem them beyond all measure in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, hold fast to the weak, be patient toward all.

¹⁵See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always pursue what is good toward one another and toward all.

¹⁶Rejoice always;

¹⁷Pray without ceasing;

¹⁸in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit;

²⁰Do not despise prophecies;

²¹But test all things; hold fast the good;

²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Faithful is the one who calls you, who also will do it.

²⁵Brothers, pray also for us.

²⁶Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷I adjure you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers.

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. To the Thessalonians, the first, it was written from Athens.