The Sudden Arrival of the Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you, 2 for you yourselves well know that the day of the Lord is coming in the same way as a thief in the night. 3 Whenever they say “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will overtake them like the birth pains of a pregnant woman[fn], and they will not possibly escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in the darkness, so that the day should catch you like a thief, 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

6 So then, we must not sleep like the rest, but must be on the alert and be self-controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But because[fn] we are of the day, we must be sober, by[fn] putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation, 9 because God did not appoint us for wrath, but for the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live at the same time with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other[fn], just as indeed you are doing.