1 From Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the father and Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you, and peace from God our father and Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We constantly thank God for all of you, making mention of you on the occasions of our prayers,
3 as we continually remember your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience for the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father,
4 knowing, brothers, you who are loved by God, your election,
5 because our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but rather in power and in holy spirit, and with much conviction, knowing as you do what kind of people we were among you for your sakes.
6 Then you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in great tribulation with great joy derived from holy spirit,
7 the result being that you became examples to all those in Macedonia and Achaea who believe.
8 For the word of the Lord has been blazed abroad by you, not only in Macedonia and in Achaea, but your faith towards God has also spread everywhere, so that we don't need to make any comment,
9 for they themselves report back about us on what kind of approach we took with you, and how you turned to God from the idols, to serve the living and true God,
10 and to await his son from the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who saves us from the coming wrath.
1 For you yourselves know, brothers, our approach with you – that it has not been in vain –
2 but, although we had suffered before and been spitefully treated, as you know, in Philippi, we spoke out frankly in our God, so as to propound to you the gospel of God, amid much opposition.
3 For our appeal did not stem from error or from uncleanness, nor was it in deceit,
4 but it is according to how we have been approved of by God to be entrusted with the gospel that we speak, not in pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
5 For neither were we at any time involved in a word of flattery, as you know, nor in a pretext for greed – God is a witness –
6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you, or from others, since as apostles of Christ we could have behaved with gravity,
7 but we were gentle when in your company, as a nursing-mother would cherish her own children.
8 So longing for you, we were glad to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves, because you had become dear to us.
9 For you remember, brothers, our labour and toil, for we worked night and day so as not to burden any of you when we proclaimed the gospel of God to you.
10 You are witnesses, and God too, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved towards you who believe,
11 as you know, how we encouraged and comforted you, each one of you, as a father his own children,
12 and how we testified that you should walk worthy of God who called you into his own kingdom and glory.
13 On account of this, we also thank God continually, because when you received the reported word of God from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, who is also active in you who believe.
14 For you became imitators, brothers, of the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus, in that you too suffered the same things done by people of your own community, just as they for their part suffered things done by the Jews,
15 who also killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and do not please God, and are opposed to all men,
16 preventing us from speaking to the Gentiles in order that they might be saved, so that they constantly bring their sins to completion; indeed wrath has come upon them in the end.
17 But we, brothers, having been bereft of you for a short time, in presence, not in heart, endeavoured most strenuously to see your face, with much longing,
18 which is why we wished to come to you, that is, me, Paul, more than once, but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it anything but you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming?
20 For you are our glory and joy.
1 So when we could no longer endure, we agreed to be left at Athens alone,
2 and we sent Timothy our brother and servant of God and our co-worker in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen you and encourage you concerning your faith,
3 so that no-one should be disturbed by these afflictions. After all, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for.
4 For indeed, when we were with you, we would tell you in advance that we would be afflicted, as it duly turned out, which you know.
5 This is why when I could no longer endure either, I sent inquirers to find out about your faith, as to whether the tempter has tempted you, and our toil had been in vain.
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love, and that you always have fond memories of us, and long to see us, as we do you,
7 it is with good reason that we are encouraged, brothers, about you in all our affliction and distress, by your faith.
8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
9 For what thanks can we return to God concerning you for all the joy with which we rejoice on your account before our God,
10 night and day pleading most earnestly to be able to see your face and to rectify the shortcomings of your faith?
11 Now may our God and father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, guide our way towards you.
12 And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love towards each other and towards everyone, as we for our part do towards you,
13 in order to strengthen your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his holy ones.
1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask you and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, to abound yet more in the way you received from us about how you need to walk and how to please God.
2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God – your sanctification – that you abstain from fornication,
4 that each of you should know how to control his own vessel in sanctification and honour,
5 not in passions of lust, as for their part the Gentiles, who do not know God, do,
6 not to transgress or defraud one's brother in business, for the Lord is an avenger concerning all these things, as indeed we have told you before, and have testified solemnly.
7 For God did not call us with a view to uncleanness, but to sanctification.
8 Consequently, he who is disregardful is not disregarding man but God who also gave his holy spirit to you,
9 but concerning brotherly love, you do not need me to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,
10 for in fact you do this to all the brothers who are in the whole of Macedonia. And we encourage you, brothers, to abound more still,
11 and to be particular about living quietly and attending to your own affairs and working with your own hands, as we have commanded you,
12 so that you behave decently towards those outside and so that you do not lack anything.
13 But we do not wish you to be ignorant brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve as do the rest, who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also will God bring back those who have fallen asleep, through Jesus, with him.
15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive – who survive up to the coming of the Lord – will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep,
16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven on command, at the voice of the archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first,
17 then we who are alive, who survive, will be caught up together with them in clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and in this way we will always be with the Lord.
18 So encourage one another with these words.
1 Now concerning the times and seasons, brothers, you don't need anything to be written to you,
2 for you yourselves know perfectly well that the way the day of the Lord comes is like a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, like the birth-pangs on her who is with child, and they will by no means escape.
4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief.
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of night or darkness.
6 So then, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us be watchful and sober.
7 For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who become drunk are drunk at night.
8 But let us who are of the day be sober, having put on a breastplate of faith and love, and a helmet, a hope of salvation,
9 because God has not appointed us to wrath, but to be an acquisition of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for our sakes, to the intent that whether we are watchful or whether we sleep, we will live together with him.
11 So encourage each other and edify one another, as indeed you do.
12 But we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those among you who toil, and your overseers in the Lord and those who admonish you,
13 and to esteem them most exceedingly in love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
14 And we beseech you, brothers, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be longsuffering towards all.
15 See to it that no-one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue goodness, both to each other and to everyone.
16 Rejoice at all times;
17 pray continually;
18 give thanks for everything. For that is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the spirit;
20 do not denigrate prophecies;
21 but test everything; hold fast to that which is good.
22 Avoid any semblance of evil.
23 And may the God of peace himself sanctify you to become complete, and may the whole of your spirit and being and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, and he will also perform it.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I adjure you by the Lord that the epistle be read to all the holy brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.