But concerning dates and times, brothers, you do not need us to write to you
For you yourselves thoroughly understand that the day of the Lord shall arrive much like a thief in the night
For when they will say, “Peace and security!” then destruction will suddenly overwhelm them, like the labor pains of a woman with child, and they will not escape
But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that you would be overtaken by that day as by a thief
For all of you are sons of light and sons of daytime; we are not of nighttime, nor of darkness
Therefore, let us not sleep, as the rest do. Instead, we should be vigilant and sober
For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are inebriated, are inebriated in the night
But we, who are of the daylight, should be sober, being clothed with the breastplate of faith and of charity and having, as a helmet, the hope of salvation
For God has not appointed us for wrath, but for the acquisition of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ
who died for us, so that, whether we watch, or whether we sleep, we may live in union with him
Because of this, console one another and build up one another, just as you are doing
And we ask you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you, and who preside over you in the Lord, and who admonish you
so that you may consider them with an abundance of charity, for the sake of their work. Be at peace with them
And we ask you, brothers: correct the disruptive, console the weak-minded, support the sick, be patient with everyone
See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone. Instead, always pursue whatever is good, with one another and with all
Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing
Give thanks in everything. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for all of you
Do not choose to extinguish the Spirit
Do not spurn prophecies
But test all things. Hold on to whatever is good
Abstain from every kind of evil
And may the God of peace himself sanctify you through all things, so that your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved without blame unto the return of our Lord Jesus Christ
He who has called you is faithful. He shall act even now
Brothers, pray for us
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss
I bind you, through the Lord, that this epistle is to be read to all the holy brothers
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen