1 Thessalonians 5:1–6
The day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night, but you are not in darkness
Study it word by word1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you.
2For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes just like a thief in the night.
3When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes upon them, like labor pains on a woman who is pregnant, and they will certainly not escape.
4But you, brothers, are not in darkness, for the day to overtake you like a thief;
5for you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
6So then, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us keep watch and be sober.
In its context
…
7For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
8But we, since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
Its words in the original
- χρόνωνchronōn· time
Time; a span of time.
- καιρῶνkairōn· time, right time
Time, the appointed moment.
- ἀδελφοίadelphoi· brother
Brother. Also a close relative, a fellow countryman and, among believers, a brother in the faith.
- χρείανchreian· need
Need; what is lacking.
- ἔχετεechete· have
Have, possess, hold.
- γράφεσθαιgraphesthai· write
Write. "It is written": that is what the Scriptures say.
- ἀκριβῶςakribōs· carefully, accurately
Carefully, accurately, exactly.
- οἴδατεoidate· know
Know, understand; also see.
- ἡμέραhēmera· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.
- κυρίουkyriou· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- κλέπτηςkleptēs· thief
Thief.
- νυκτὶnykti· night
Night. "By night".
- ἔρχεταιerchetai· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- ὅτανhotan· when, whenever
When, whenever.
- λέγωσινlegōsin· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ΕἰρήνηEirēnē· peace
Peace: the wholeness and well-being God gives; as a greeting, "peace to you".
- ἀσφάλειαasphaleia· certainty, security
Certainty, firmness; security, safety.
- τότεtote· then
Then, at that time.
- αἰφνίδιοςaiphnidios· sudden
Sudden, unexpected.
- ἐφίσταταιephistatai· stand by, come upon
Stand by, appear suddenly beside someone; come upon, arrive; of an event, be at hand, come on.
- ὄλεθροςolethros· destruction
Destruction, ruin.
- ὥσπερhōsper· just as
Just as, in the same way as.
- ὠδὶνōdin· birth pains
Labor pains.
- γαστρὶgastri· womb, belly
Belly, womb. To "have in the womb" is to be pregnant.
- ἐκφύγωσινekphygōsin· escape
Escape, flee away.
- ἐστὲeste· be
Be, exist.
- σκότειskotei· darkness
Darkness.
- καταλάβῃkatalabēi· overtake, seize
Seize; overtake; grasp, understand.
- υἱοὶhuioi· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- φωτόςphōtos· light
Light.
- ἄραara· then, so
So then, therefore.
- καθεύδωμενkatheudōmen· sleep
Sleep.
- λοιποίloipoi· the rest, remaining
The rest, the others; as an adverb, "from now on", "finally".
- γρηγορῶμενgrēgorōmen· keep awake, watch
Stay awake; keep watch, be alert.
- νήφωμενnēphōmen· be sober, be alert
Be sober: keep a clear head and stay alert; free from the confusion of wine.