1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the congregation of the Thessalonians united with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.
3 We continually remember your work of faith, labor of love, and patience, and your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.
4 We know your calling brothers, beloved of God.
5 We preached the good news to you, not in words only but with power from Holy Spirit and with conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you. It was for your own good.
6 You imitated the Lord and us, even though you suffered much affliction. Yet you received the word with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit.
7 So you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For not only did the message about God go out from you throughout Macedonia and Achaia, but the news about your faith in God has gone everywhere. There is nothing that we need to say.
9 All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God, to serve the true and living God,
10 and to wait for his Son to come from heaven, his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from Gods anger indignation that is to come.
1 For you know brothers that our coming to you was not in vein.
2 After we suffered and were mistreated in Philippi, we had the boldness confidence in our God to speak the good news of God to you amid much opposition.
3 For our presentation exhortation is not based on error, or of uncleanness, or in deceit.
4 We always speak, as God wants us to. He has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives examines our hearts .
5 You know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk praise for selfish gain . We did not use words to cover up greed insatiable desire for wealth . God is our witness!
6 We did not try to get praise from anyone, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you.
7 But we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother taking care of her children.
8 Having much affection for you, we were well pleased to impart the good news of God to you and also to share our lives with you. You have become very dear to us.
9 You may remember, brothers, our labor and hardship. We worked day and night that we would not burden any of you when we preached the good news of God to you.
10 You and God are witnesses, how devoutly and righteously, without blame, we behaved toward you who believe!
11 You know how we dealt with each one of you. It was like a father with his own children, exhorting you, and encouraging and showing you.
12 You should walk worthily of God, who called you into his own kingdom and glory.
13 For this purpose we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.
14 You brothers became imitators of the congregations of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus. You also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews.
15 They killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They did not please God and are contrary to all men.
16 They hindered us from speaking to the nations so that they may be saved. The result was that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
17 But we have been taken away from you for a short while. We have been taken away in person, not in spirit. We are all the more eager with great desire to see you.
18 We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, wanted to more than once and yet Satan hindered us.
19 Who is our hope, or joy, or crown of exultation? Is it not you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus, at his coming?
20 For you are our glory and joy!
1 When we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens.
2 So we sent Timothy, our brother and Gods fellow worker in the good news of Christ. He came to strengthen and encourage you concerning your faith.
3 We do not want anyone to be discouraged by these troubles. You know we were bound to suffer persecution.
4 When we were with you, we told you that we would suffer tribulation and affliction. It happened, as you know.
5 For this cause, when I could no longer bear it, I inquired about your faith. I feared that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.
6 Timothy came from you to us, and brought us good news about your faith and love. We want you to have good memories of us always, and that you desire to see us just as we also desire to see you.
7 Brothers, your faith has comforted us. In all our trouble and suffering we are encouraged.
8 Now we live, if you persevere stand fast in the Lord.
9 What thanks can we render to God for you and for all the joy we have for your sakes before our God?
10 Night and day we pray exceedingly that we might see you in person, and might perfect restore repair that which is lacking in your faith.
11 May God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.
13 May he resolutely strengthen your hearts without blame in holiness before God, our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his holy ones.
1 Furthermore, we encourage you, brothers, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you ought to walk, and to please God, so you would abound more and more.
2 You know the commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 This is the will of God, for your sanctification holiness purification , that you should abstain from fornication.
4 Every one of you should know how to possess his own vessel in holiness and honor,
5 not in the lust of sexual desire like the nations who do not know God.
6 Let no man defraud his brother in any matter. Jehovah is the avenger of this. We also have warned you and testified.
7 For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness.
8 He therefore that rejects this, rejects not man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to us.
9 I do not need to write you about brotherly love. For God taught you to love one another.
10 Indeed, you do it toward all the brothers in all Macedonia: but we encourage you to increase more and more.
11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and mind your own business, and work with your hands, as we command you.
12 That way you may walk honestly in the eyes of those on the outside and lack nothing.
13 I do not want you to be ignorant brothers, concerning those who are asleep in death . You do not need to sorrow like others who have no hope.
14 If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 We tell you this by Gods Word, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 We that are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so will we ever be with the Lord.
18 Comfort one another with these words.
1 You have no need that I write to you about the times and dates, brothers.
2 For you know perfectly that the »Day of Jehovah« will come like a thief in the night. (Zephaniah 1:14)
3 When they say, »Peace and security!« then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come to a pregnant woman. They will not escape.
4 You do not live in the dark. That day should not overtake you by surprise as a thief would.
5 You are all the children sons of light, and the children of the day. We are not of the night, not of darkness.
6 Therefore, let us not sleep like others do. But let us watch and be sober.
7 They that sleep do so in the night. They that get drunk are drunk in the night.
8 Let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love; and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
9 For God has not appointed us to experience his wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
10 He died for us, that, whether we are awake in this life or sleep in death, we should live together with him.
11 Comfort each other and strengthen one another as you are doing.
12 We ask you, brothers, to appreciate those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you.
13 To esteem them very highly in love because of the work they do. And be at peace among yourselves.
14 We ask you brothers to warn the unruly and comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all men.
15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone. But follow that which is good, both among you, and to all men.
16 Rejoice always.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophesying.
21 Prove all things; hold fast to what is good.
22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23 May the very God of peace completely sanctify you make you holy . I pray to God that your entire spiritual being, your mind and body, is preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is he who calls you. He will also make it happen.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this letter is to be read to all the brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.