The Sovereign LORD will destroy death forever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone's eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The LORD himself has spoken.

Those of our people who have died will live again! Their bodies will come back to life. All those sleeping in their graves will wake up and sing for joy. As the sparkling dew refreshes the earth, so the LORD will revive those who have long been dead.

I will not save this people from the world of the dead or rescue them from the power of death. Bring on your plagues, death! Bring on your destruction, world of the dead! I will no longer have pity for this people.

I am telling you the truth: the time is coming---the time has already come---when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will come to life.

And he has given the Son the right to judge, because he is the Son of Man.

and come out of their graves: those who have done good will rise and live, and those who have done evil will rise and be condemned.

But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised.

Many of those who have already died will live again: some will enjoy eternal life, and some will suffer eternal disgrace.

That is why many of you are sick and weak, and several have died.

Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.

who died for us in order that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.