Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

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

remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen,

and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

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 they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

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 neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),

Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.

For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.

You are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.

we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you to lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.

For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;

who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and did not please God, and are contrary to all men;

Therefore, when we could not stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone,

and sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;

But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you;

For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God;

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you;

to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, even as you are living, that you excel more and more.

For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who do not know God;

For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,

and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you;

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

but test all things; hold firmly that which is good.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.