4 ¹³ WE WISH YOU not to remain in ignorance, brothers, about those who sleep in death; you should not grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 4 ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and rose again; and so it will be for those who died as Christians; God will bring them to life with Jesus. Or: will bring them in company with Jesus.
4 ¹⁵ For this we tell you as the Lord's word: we who are left alive until the Lord comes shall not forestall those who have died; 4 ¹⁶ because at the word of command, at the sound of the archangel's voice and God's trumpet-call, the Lord himself will descend from heaven; first the Christian dead will rise, 4 ¹⁷ then we who are left alive shall join them, caught up in clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 4 ¹⁸ Console one another, then, with these words.

5 ¹ About dates and times, my friends, we need not write to you, 5 ² for you know perfectly well that the Day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. 5 ³ While they are talking of peace and security, all at once calamity is upon them, sudden as the pangs that come upon a woman with child; and there will be no escape. 5 ⁴ But you, my friends, are not in the dark, that the day should overtake you like a thief. Some witnesses read: thieves. 5 ⁵ You are all children of light, children of day. We do not belong to night or darkness, 5 ⁶ and we must not sleep like the rest, but keep awake and sober. 5 ⁷ Sleepers sleep at night, and drunkards are drunk at night, 5 ^{8 [ Is.59.17, Wis.5.18. ]} but we, who belong to daylight, must keep sober, armed with faith and love for coat of mail, and the hope of salvation for helmet. 5 ⁹ For God has not destined us to the terrors of judgement, but to the full attainment of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 ¹⁰ He died for us so that we, awake or asleep, might live in company with him. 5 ¹¹ Therefore hearten one another, fortify one another- as indeed you do.