We give thanks to God always for all of you, continually mentioning you in our prayers;

for we are persuaded, my brethren, that you are the peculiar objects of divine favour;

so that you are an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

For they themselves are reporting concerning us what kind of reception we had among you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God,

And [they tell how you are] waiting for His Son [to come] from heaven, the One He raised up from the dead --- this Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath [of God].

For you yourselves, brothers, are conscious that our coming among you was not without effect:

But even as the good news was given to us by the approval of God, so we give it out; not as pleasing men, but God by whom our hearts are tested.

Indeed, we never resorted to flattery, as you are well aware, nor to any pretext for making money; God is our witness.

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,

You are witnesses, and so is God, how unworldly and just and blameless was our behavior toward you who believe [in our Lord Jesus Christ].

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

And, for this cause, we, are also giving thanks unto God unceasingly, that, when ye received a spoken word from us - which was God's, ye welcomed it - not as a human word, but, even as it truly is, a divine word, - which is also inwardly working itself in you who believe.

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same [kind of] persecution from your own countrymen, as they did from the Jews,

The men who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and who persecuted us, and are not pleasing to God, and are contrary to all men.

hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are always completing the number of their sins, and wrath has overtaken them at last.

Forasmuch, brethren, as we are kept from you for a season, as concerning the bodily presence - but not in the heart - we enforced the more to see you personally with great desire,

For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus, at his coming?

For you are [indeed] our glory and our joy!

for no man to be disturbed by these afflictions. For ye yourselves know that we are set for this.

For, even when we were with you, we told you beforehand - we are destined to suffer tribulation! even as it also came to pass, and ye know.

But now that Timothy has returned from you to me, and has brought good news of your faith and love, and that you are still holding me in affectionate remembrance, always longing to see me as I also am longing to see you.

for this reason we are comforted concerning you, brethren, in all our distress and affliction, by your faith:

For now I am really living, if you are standing firm in the Lord.

For how great is the praise which we give to God for you, and how great the joy with which we are glad because of you before our God;

Night and day, making very abundant entreaties, that we may see your face, and fit in the things which are lacking in your faith?

And for you, may the Lord fill you to overflowing with love for one another and for every one, just as we are filled with love for you;

so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Now, brothers, we ask and beg you, in the face of our union with the Lord Jesus, as you once received from us how you ought to live so as to please God -- as indeed you are living -- to continue to live this life better and better.

For you are aware of the instructions which we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

not [to be used] in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God and are ignorant of His will;

But about brotherly love ye have no need to write to you, for ye yourselves are taught by God in order to love each other.

as you are practicing it toward all the brothers all over Macedonia. We beg you, brothers, to continue to live better and better;

So that your conduct may be seemly toward those that are without, and that you may not need help from any man.

Also we do not want you to have any misunderstanding, brothers, about those who are falling asleep, so as to keep you from grieving over them as others do who have no hope.

For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

For on the Lord's own authority we say that those of us who may be left behind and are still living when the Lord comes back, will have no advantage at all over those who have fallen asleep.

then those of us who are still living will be caught up along with them on clouds in the air to meet the Lord, and so we shall be with the Lord forever.

While men are saying "Peace and safety," then, like birth-pangs upon a woman with child, destruction will come upon them suddenly. In no wise will they escape.

But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that that day, like a thief, should take you by surprise;

for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness.

For those who sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunken at night,

But let us who are of the day be self-controlled, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

So that, whether we are awake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Therefore encourage each other, and build ye up one by one, just as ye also are doing.

We beg you, brothers, to practice showing respect to those who labor among you, who are your leaders in the Lord's work, and who advise you;

and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake, and be at peace among yourselves.

And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from 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.

I give orders in the name of the Lord that all the brothers are to be present at the reading of this letter.