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

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in great fulness of assurance; as ye know what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes.

For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we do not need to say anything.

For ye know yourselves, brethren, our entering in which we had to you, that it has not been in vain;

but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.

But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.

For we have not at any time been among you with flattering discourse, even as ye know, nor with a pretext for covetousness, God is witness;

neither sought we praise of men, neither of you, nor yet of any other, when we might have been chargeable, as the apostles of Christ.

But we became gentle in your midst, - as though, a nursing mother, had been cherishing her own children:

Thus, yearning after you, we could have been well-pleased to impart unto you - not only the glad-message of God, but, our own lives also, - because, very dear to us, had ye become.

And we, brethren, having been taken from you for the space of an hour -- in presence, not in heart -- did hasten the more abundantly to see your face in much desire,

this I Paul have frequently attempted, but Satan has been my obstacle.

so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.

for we told you beforehand, when we were with you, that "we Christians are to have trouble" ??and, as you know, it has been so.)

For this cause I also, when I could not stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

this is the very reason, namely, through your faith, brothers, that I have been encouraged about you, in spite of all my distresses and crushing difficulties,

how can I be sufficiently thankful to God upon your account, for all the joy, which by your means we have been affected with,

Now as to brotherly love, you have no need of anyone's writing you, for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another,

And I wish you not to be ignorant, brethren, of them having been asleep, that ye should not grieve, as also the rest, they hating no hope.

So then, go on comforting and building up one another, as you have been doing.

God, by whom you have been marked out in his purpose, is unchanging and will make it complete.