Good News Translation recognizes that the construction “let us” (Revised Standard Version), used as a first person plural imperative, is becoming old-fashioned in English. This construction, which closely follows the form of the Greek, is also abandoned by New English Bible Jerusalem Bible Knox Moffatt Barclay, cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Bible en français courant Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Bijbel in Gewone Taal (here but not in v. 8) and Zürcher Bibel (in v. 8 but not here).

The others are those who were described in 4.12 as “those outside” (Good News Translation those who are not believers). The phrase as a whole suggests that they are so well known as to need no more explicit identification.

We should not be sleeping should not be interpreted as meaning that Christians should not sleep. The reference here is to lazy sleeping or lack of alertness. Perhaps the meaning can be expressed as “we should not be sleepily unconcerned.” This would then make it possible to contrast “sleepiness” with the “alertness” implied in “being awake.”

In many instances a translation of sober will emphasize “controlling oneself,” which may be expressed in a variety of ways, for example, “being able to say no to one’s desire,” “thinking everything straight,” “keeping one’s head right,” or “making one’s thoughts conform.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .