13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are ^sasleep, that you may not grieve as others do who ^thave no ^uhope. 14 For ^vsince we believe ^wthat Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,¹ that ^xwe who are alive, who are left until the ^ycoming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For ^zthe Lord himself will descend ^afrom heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the ^btrumpet of God. And ^cthe dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them ^din the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 ^eTherefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Now concerning the ^ftimes and the seasons, brothers,^{2 g}you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come ^hlike a thief in the night. 3 While people are ⁱsaying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all ^jchildren³ of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^kkeep awake and ^lbe sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having ^mput on the ⁿbreastplate of ^ofaith and love, and for a ^phelmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for ^qwrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 ^rTherefore encourage one another and ^sbuild one another up, just as you are doing.