Paul, Silas, and Timothy: To the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be granted to you.

I am continually thanking God for all, always making mention of you in my prayers,

Being conscious, my brothers, dear to God, that you have been marked out by God's purpose;

for my gospel did not come to you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. For you know also the manner in which I behaved myself among you for your sakes.

From you, in fact, hath sounded forth the word of the Lord - not only m Macedonia and in Achaia, but, in every place, your faith which is toward God, hath gone forth, so that, no need, have we to be saying anything;

For, my brothers, you yourselves know our coming in to you, that it was not in vain.

for you remember that although I had already borne ill-treatment and insult at Philippi, I took courage in my God to tell you the gospel of God, in the face of much opposition.

For my preaching was not grounded on a delusion, or on impure motives, on in deceit.

But as my fitness to be entrusted with the gospel has been tested and approved by God, I so speak, not to please men, but to please God, who is testing my motives.

For as you well know, I never resorted to flattery, nor to any pretext for enriching myself. God is my witness!

But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse may cherish her own children,

So in my fond affection it was my joy to give you, not only the gospel of God, but my very life also, because you had become dear to me.

For you have the memory, my brothers, of our trouble and care; how, working night and day, so that we might not be a trouble to any of you, we gave you the good news of God.

You are witnesses??nd so is God??ow pure and just and blameless was my behavior among you believers.

For this reason also I am giving continual thanks to God, because when you heard from me the spoken word of God, you received it not as the word of men, but as the word of God (which in truth it is), who himself is effectually at work in you believe.

For you, my brothers, took as your examples the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; because you underwent the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Jews;

forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always: but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

But we, my brothers, being away from you for a short time, in body but not in heart, had all the more desire to see your face;

Because we wish to come to you, I Paul indeed both once and twice; and Satan hindered me.

For what is my hope, or joy? What is the victor's wreath in which I exult? What but your own selves in the presence of our Lord Jesus, at his coming!

For you are my pride and my delight.

So, unable to bear it any longer, I made up my mind to be left behind at Athens all alone;

and I sent my brother Timothy, a servant of God in preaching the good news of the Christ, to strengthen you in your faith

For this cause, I also, no longer concealing my anxiety, sent, that I might get to know your faith, lest by any means he that tempteth, should have tempted you, and, in vain, should have been our toil.

But when Timotheus reached me a moment ago, on his return from you, bringing me the good news of your faith and love and of how you always remember me kindly, longing to see me as I long to see you,

then, my brothers, we were comforted over you, through your faith, even in all our affliction and needs;

because now we live, if ye may stand fast in the Lord;

How can I render thanks enough to God for you, for all the joy you make me feel in the presence of our God?

night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you:

But you, may the Lord make to exceed and abound in love toward one another, and toward all, even as we also towards you,

To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

As to the rest, then, brethren, we request you, and call upon you in the Lord Jesus, as ye did receive from us how it behoveth you to walk and to please God, that ye may abound the more,

For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;

So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour;

And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.

Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.

he therefore that violates these precepts, does not despise man, but God, who has endued me with his holy spirit.

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

And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;

And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that ye may not sorrow, as also the rest who have not hope,

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,

And concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need of my writing to you,

When they may say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon her that is with child; and they shall in no wise escape.

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

so, then, we may not sleep as also the others, but watch and be sober,

who has died for us, that whether we may be watching or sleep, we may live together with him.

But we make this request to you, my brothers: give attention to those who are working among you, who are over you in the Lord to keep order among you;

see no one evil for evil may render to any one, but always that which is good pursue ye, both to one another and to all;

in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].

And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He who calls you is faithful; he will fulfil my prayer.

Brothers, pray for me.

I conjure you by the Lord, that this epistle may be read to all our christian brethren.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.