1 Thessalonians 5

1 Friends, we don’t need to write to you about times and dates.

2 You know already about that day when our leader, Jesus, will come back. You know that day will come suddenly, and everybody will get a big shock. They will not be ready for it, like nobody is ready for a robber to come in the night to steal things.

3 It will be like this. People will be saying, “We are safe. There’s no trouble here.” But then that big trouble will come really quickly, and they will not be ready for it. God will give them that big trouble, and it will wreck them. You know what happens when a woman has a baby, she suddenly gets pain and then her baby starts to come, and nobody can stop it. It will be just like that. Big trouble will come to people suddenly, and nobody will get away from it.

4 But friends, you aren’t like other people that do bad things all the time. It is like they are living in the dark all the time. When that trouble day comes you will not get a shock, like when a robber comes to steal things at night.

5 You belong to our leader, Jesus, and you do good things, so you belong to the light, and you belong to the day time. You aren’t people that belong to the night time or the dark.

6 So don’t be like other people that aren’t ready, like they are asleep. Instead, you can think clearly about what is happening, like people that are awake.

7 You know, night time is the time when people go to sleep, or maybe they get drunk.

8 But we belong to the day time, so we have to think clearly. We have to keep on loving God and trusting him to save us. When we do these things, we will be like soldiers that put on special clothes made out of steel, to stop the enemy from hitting them.

9 You see, God didn’t plan to get angry with us. No. He planned to save us. Our leader, Jesus Christ, died for us, so now God can save us. After Jesus comes back we will live with him for ever. It will not matter if we are alive or dead when he comes, we will all live with him for ever.

10 So then, tell these things to each other and help each other to become stronger, not sad and weak. And yes, we know you are doing this already.

11 Now friends, here are a few more things we really want you to do. Respect those people among you that work hard for God. They lead you, his people, and teach you how to live the right way.

12 They work for God, so respect them and love them very much. And another thing, don’t argue with each other.

13 And the next thing, tell lazy people that they have to work. And if somebody is frightened, talk to them in a way that helps them to be brave. And help anybody that is weak. And wait for other people, and try to stay friends with them.

14 If somebody does something bad to you, don’t try to do payback to them, but always try to be good to each other and to everyone else too.

15 Always be happy.

16 Be ready to pray to God at any time.

17 Always thank God, no matter what happens to you. You see, you belong to Jesus Christ, so God wants you to do these things.

18 Now this is about people that give you messages from God. Don’t stop God’s spirit working in you.

19 Listen carefully when anyone tells you a message that they say comes from God. Don’t rubbish God’s messages,

20 but think carefully about everything they say, and find out if it really comes from God. Then, if it is right, be careful to remember it and to do those good things.

21 But if it is wrong, or if it tells you to do a bad thing, don’t do it. Keep away from every kind of bad thing, and don’t listen to messages that don’t come from God.

22 God is the one that helps people to be calm and settled inside themselves. I want this for you, and I’m asking God himself to clean you properly, so that you will be his special people. I want him to clean every part of each of you. That is your spirit, and your inside part called your soul, and your body, too. And I’m asking him to keep you clean, so that you will be properly good when our leader, Jesus Christ, comes back.

23 Yes, God will do this for you. He picked you to be his people, and he always does what he promised to do.

24 Friends, pray for us.

25 And whenever you meet other Christians say hello to them and show them that you love them.

26 Now listen. I want you to promise me that you will read this letter to all the Christians there, and our leader, Jesus, will be listening to you promise this.

27 And now I ask our leader, Jesus Christ, to be with you and to be very good to you. From Paul