1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Expanded Bible

The Lord’s Coming

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we ·want you to know [do not want you to be uninformed] about those ·Christians who have died [^Lwho sleep; ^Ca euphemism for death] so you will not ·be sad [grieve], as ·others [^Lthe rest] who have no hope. ¹⁴ [^LFor] We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. ·So, through him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died [or So God will bring with Jesus those who have died/^Lfallen asleep in him]. ¹⁵ What we tell you now is ·the Lord’s own message [^Lby the word of the Lord]. We who are ·living [still alive] when the Lord comes again will [^Lcertainly; surely] not go before those who have ·already died [^Lfallen asleep]. ¹⁶ The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud ·command [or shout], ·with [or accompanied by; or preceded by] the voice of the archangel [^Ca leading or ruling angel; Dan. 10:13; Jude 9], and with the trumpet call of God. And ·those who have died believing [^Lthe dead] in Christ will rise first [1 Cor. 15:51–57]. ¹⁷ After that, we who are ·still alive [or alive and are left] will be ·gathered [caught; taken] up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And [^Lso; in this way] we will be with the Lord forever.