so being desirous of you, we are well-pleased to impart to you not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because beloved ye have become to us,

ye are witnesses -- God also -- how kindly and righteously, and blamelessly to you who believe we became,

even as ye have known, how each one of you, as a father his own children, we are exhorting you, and comforting, and testifying,

for ye became imitators, brethren, of the assemblies of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because such things ye suffered, even ye, from your own countrymen, as also they from the Jews,

who did both put to death the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and did persecute us, and God they are not pleasing, and to all men are contrary,

for what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye before our Lord Jesus Christ in his presence?

for ye are our glory and joy.

that no one be moved in these tribulations, for yourselves have known that for this we are set,

for even when we were with you, we said to you beforehand, that we are about to suffer tribulation, as also it did come to pass, and ye have known it;

for what thanks are we able to recompense to God for you, for all the joy with which we do joy because of you in the presence of our God?

And concerning the brotherly love, ye have no need of my writing to you, for ye yourselves are God-taught to love one another,

for ye do it also to all the brethren who are in all Macedonia; and we call upon you, brethren, to abound still more,

for this to you we say in the word of the Lord, that we who are living -- who do remain over to the presence of the Lord -- may not precede those asleep,

then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be;

and ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day may catch you as a thief;

all ye are sons of light, and sons of day; we are not of night, nor of darkness,

for those sleeping, by night do sleep, and those making themselves drunk, by night are drunken,