We thank God always about all of you, making recollection of you in our prayers,

We know, my brothers who are dearly loved by God, about your election [i.e., that you were chosen by God because of your obedient faith],

For the word of the Lord has resounded from you and has echoed [like thunder], not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place [the news of] your [great] faith in God has spread, so that we never need to say anything about it.

For [they] themselves report about us, what sort of welcome we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve [the] living and true God,

For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you -- it has not proven to be purposeless.

For our appeal does not rest on a delusion, nor spring from any impure motive; there is no fraud about it.

This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers.

Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree.

But brothers, after we were separated from you for a short time --- in person but not in spirit --- we became all the more eager [to come to you] and strongly desired to see you in person. [Note: The word "separated" here denotes the traumatic experience of a child being forcibly removed from its parents. It had been about six months since Paul left Thessalonica under adverse circumstances].

and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and to encourage you about your faith,

for also, when we were with you, we told you beforehand we are about to be in tribulation, even as also it came to pass, and ye know.)

For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.

But now Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news about your faith and love and reported that you always have good memories of us, wanting to see us, as we also want to see you.

for this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and suffering we have been comforted and greatly encouraged about you because of your faith [your unwavering trust in God—placing yourselves completely in His loving hands];

For what thanks can we repay God about you, for all the joy in which we rejoiced because of you before our God,

Finally, believers, we ask and admonish you in the Lord Jesus, that you follow the instruction that you received from us about how you ought to walk and please God (just as you are actually doing) and that you excel even more and more [pursuing a life of purpose and living in a way that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation].

not to transgress and to cheat his brother in the affair, because the Lord is vengeful about all these things, as also we forewarned you and solemnly testified.

About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

in order that you may walk about circumspectly toward the aliens, and you may have need of nothing.

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life].

About the times and the seasons: Brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you.

When people say, "What peace and security!" then suddenly destruction will be upon them, like birth-pains upon a woman about to give birth to a child, and there will be no escape.

But you brothers are not in the dark about that day, so that it sneaks up on you like a thief,

Brothers, pray about us.