PAUL and Sylvanus [Silas] and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you and peace.

We thank God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

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

knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election,

For from you the word of the Lord was proclaimed not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith with respect to God went into every place, so that we had no need to say any thing;

for they declare of us what introduction we had to you, and how you turned from idols to God, to serve the living and true God,

but having suffered before, and been injuriously treated, as you know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much contention.

but as we were judged worthy by God to be intrusted with the gospel so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tries our hearts.

For we used at no time a word of flattery, as you know, nor a pretext for covetousness, God is witness,

so being greatly desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but our own souls, because you were dear to us.

For you remember, brothers, our labor and weariness; that working night and day not to be burdensome to any one of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, and God, how piously, and righteously, and blamelessly we were with you that believe,

and charged you to walk worthily of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

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

For you, brothers, became followers of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which were in Judea, for you also suffered the same things from your countrymen, which they did from the Jews

who also killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us, and who please not God and are hostile to all men,

and sent Timothy, our brother and God's co-laborer in the gospel of Christ, to confirm you and to exhort you in behalf of your faith,

But now Timothy having come to us from you and told us the good news of your faith and love, and that you have a good remembrance of us always, desiring to see us, as we also you,

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

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

to confirm your hearts without blame in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

FINALLY, therefore, brothers, we beseech and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, as you have received from us how you ought to walk and please God, that you abound still more.

For this is the will of God, your purity, that you should abstain from fornication,

not with inordinate desires like the gentiles who know not God,

For God has not called us to impurity, but to purity.

He therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who also gives us his Holy Spirit.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you; for you are taught by God to love one another;

and strive to be quiet and pursue your own business, and work with your hands, as we charged you,

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also will God bring with him those that have fallen asleep on account of Jesus.

for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,

for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

See that no one renders evil for evil, but always pursue the good both one to another and to all.

give thanks on every occasion; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to us.

Prove all things, hold fast the good;

And may the God of peace himself purify you wholly, and your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.