5:1 Now on the topic of times and seasons,¹ brothers and sisters,² you have no need for anything to be written to you. 5:2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord³ will come in the same way as a thief in the night.⁴ 5:3 Now when⁵ they are saying, “There is peace and security,”⁶ then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains⁷ on a pregnant woman, and they will surely not escape. 5:4 But you, brothers and sisters,⁸ are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would. 5:5 For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. 5:6 So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober. 5:7 For those who sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 5:8 But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate⁹ of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.¹⁰ 5:9 For God did not destine us for wrath¹¹ but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:10 He died¹² for us so that whether we are alert or asleep¹³ we will come to life together with him. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.

5:12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters,¹⁴ to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you, 5:13 and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 5:14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters,¹⁵ admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all. 5:15 See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all. 5:16 Always rejoice, 5:17 constantly pray, 5:18 in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 5:19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 5:20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt. 5:21 But examine all things; hold fast to what is good; 5:22 stay away from every form of evil.

5:23 Now may the God of peace make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.¹⁶ 5:25 Brothers and sisters,¹⁷ pray for us too. 5:26 Greet all the brothers and sisters¹⁸ with a holy kiss. 5:27 I call on you solemnly in the Lord¹⁹ to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.²⁰ 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.