UNTO THE THESSALONIANS I
[1] PAUL AND SILVANUS, AND TIMOTHY to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
[2] We thank :God always for you all, making mention of you in our :prayers; [3] remembering without ceasing your :work of :faith and :labor1 of :love and :patience2 of :hope in3 our :Lord Jesus Christ, before our :God and Father; [4] knowing, brethren beloved of :God, your :election, [5] how4 that our :gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance;5 even as ye know what manner of men we became toward you for your sake. [6] And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit; [7] so that ye became an ensample to all that believe in :Macedonia and in :Achaia. [8] For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in :Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your :faith :unto God is gone forth; so that we have no need to speak anything. [9] For they report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto :God from :idols, to be bondmen of a living and true God, [10] and to wait for his :Son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath :to come.
[1] For yourselves, brethren, know our :entering in unto you, that it hath not become vain: [2] but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our :God to speak unto you the gospel of :God in much conflict. [3] For our :exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: [4] but even as we have been approved of :God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our :hearts. [5] For neither were we ever found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak1 of covetousness, God is witness; [6] nor seeking glory of men, neither from you nor from others, though able to be a burden as apostles of Christ. [7] But we became babes in your midst, as when a nurse cherisheth her own :children: [8] even so, longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the gospel of :God only, but also our own :souls, because ye were become very dear2 to us. [9] For ye remember, brethren, our :labor and :travail: working night and day, that we burden not any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of :God. [10] Ye are witnesses, :God also, how holily and righteously and unblamably we became toward you that believe: [11] as ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging, and testifying, [12] that ye should walk worthily of the God that calleth you into his own :kingdom and glory.
[13] And for this cause we also thank :God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the3 word of the message of :God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe. [14] For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of :God which are in :Judæa in Christ Jesus: for ye also suffered the same things of your :own countrymen, even as they did of the Jews; [15] who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove out us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men; [16] hindering us from speaking to the nations that they may be saved; to fill up their :sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
[17] But we, brethren, being bereaved of you for a season of an hour in presence4 not in heart, endeavored the more exceedingly to see your face with great desire: [18] because we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again;5 and :Satan hindered us. [19] For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Are not even ye, before our :Lord Jesus at his :presence? [20] For ye are our :glory and our :joy.
[1] Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone; [2] and sent Timothy, our :brother and :God's minister in the gospel of the Christ, to stablish you, and to comfort concerning your :faith; [3] that no one be moved by these :afflictions; for yourselves know that hereunto we are appointed. [4] For verily, when we were with you, we told you afore1 that we are to be afflicted; even as it came to pass, and ye know. [5] For this cause I also, when I could no longer forbear, sent :to know your :faith, lest somehow the tempter had tempted you, and our :labor be in vain. [6] But when Timothy came even now unto us from you, and brought us glad tidings of your :faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, even as we also to see you; [7] for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our :distress and affliction through your :faith: [8] for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. [9] For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our :God; [10] night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your :face, and may perfect what are lacking in your :faith?
[11] Now may :God himself and our Father, and our :Lord Jesus, direct our :way unto you: [12] and the Lord make you to increase and abound in :love one toward another, and toward all, even as we also do toward you; [13] to the end he may stablish your :hearts unblamable in holiness before our2 :God and Father, at the presence of our :Lord Jesus with all his :saints.
[1] For the rest, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as ye received of us :how ye ought to walk and to please God, even as ye do walk,—that ye abound more and more. [2] For ye know what charges we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
[3] For this is the will of :God, your :sanctification; that ye abstain from :fornication; [4] that each of you know how to possess himself of his own :vessel in sanctification and honor, [5] not in the passion of lust, even as the nations who know not :God; [6] that no one transgress,1 and wrong his :brother in the matter: because the Lord is avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned2 you and testified. [7] For :God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. [8] Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but :God, who giveth his :Holy :Spirit unto you.
[9] But concerning :love of the brethren ye have no need that one write you: for ye yourselves are taught of God :to love one another;
[10] for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren :in all :Macedonia.
But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more;
[11] and that ye study3 to be quiet, and to do your :own business, and to work with your :hands, even as we charged you;
[12] that ye may walk becomingly toward them without, and may have need of nothing.
[13] But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, even so them also that are fallen asleep will God :through Jesus bring with him. [15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the presence of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with a trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; [17] then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in clouds, to meet the Lord into the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. [18] Wherefore comfort4 one another with these :words.
[1] But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written to you. [2] For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief at night. [3] When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as :travail upon :one with child; and they shall in nowise escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as thieves, [5] for ye are all sons of light, and sons of day: we are not of night, nor of darkness; [6] so then let us not sleep, as the rest, but let us watch and be sober. [7] For who sleep sleep at night; and who are drunken are drunken at night. [8] But let us, since we are of day, be sober, putting on a breastplate of faith and love; and for helmet, the hope of salvation. [9] For :God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our :Lord Jesus Christ, [10] who died for us, that, whether we wake1 or sleep, we should live together with him. [11] Wherefore exhort2 one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do.
[12] But we ask you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; [13] and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their :work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. [14] And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all. [15] See that none render unto any one evil for evil; but always follow after what is good, one toward another, and toward all. [16] Rejoice alway; [17] pray without ceasing; [18] in everything give thanks: for this is God's will in Christ Jesus to you-ward. [19] Quench not the Spirit; [20] despise not prophesyings; [21] but prove all things; hold fast what is good; [22] abstain from every form of evil.
[23] And the God of :peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your :spirit and :soul and :body be preserved entire, without blame at the presence of our :Lord Jesus Christ. [24] Faithful he that calleth you, who will also do it.
[25] Brethren, pray for us also.
[26] Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss. [27] I adjure you by the Lord that the letter be read to all the brethren.
[28] The grace of our :Lord Jesus Christ be with you.