for my gospel did not come to you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. For you know also the manner in which I behaved myself among you for your sakes.

and ye -- ye did become imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

for from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God did go forth, so that we have no need to say anything,

for they themselves concerning us do declare what entrance we had unto you, and how ye did turn unto God from the idols, to serve a living and true God,

and to wait for His Son from the heavens, whom He did raise out of the dead -- Jesus, who is rescuing us from the anger that is coming.

For you yourselves know, brothers, that my visit to you did not fail of its purpose;

For our exhortation didn’t come from error or impurity or an intent to deceive.

for at no time did we come with speech of flattery, (as ye have known,) nor in a pretext for covetousness, (God is witness!)

nor did we seek glory and honor from people, neither from you nor from anyone else, though as apostles of Christ we had the power to assert our authority.

Our affection therefore to you being so great, we were as ready to give our lives for you, as we were to communicate the divine gospel to you, so much did you engage our love.

for ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail, for, night and day working not to be a burden upon any of you, we did preach to you the good news of God;

nor do we fail of giving thanks to God continually, that, when you received the word of God, which we preach, you did not receive it as the doctrine of men, but as a doctrine that appears to be truly divine, by the influences it displays 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,

who did both put to death the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and did persecute us, and God they are not pleasing, and to all men are contrary,

forbidding us to speak to the nations that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always, but the anger did come upon them -- to the end!

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,

wherefore we wished to come unto you, (I indeed Paul,) both once and again, and the Adversary did hinder us;

and did send Timotheus -- our brother, and a ministrant of God, and our fellow-workman in the good news of the Christ -- to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith,

for even when we were with you, we said to you beforehand, that we are about to suffer tribulation, as also it did come to pass, and ye have known it;

because of this also, I, no longer forbearing, did send to know your faith, lest he who is tempting did tempt you, and in vain might be our labour.

As to the rest, then, brethren, we request you, and call upon you in the Lord Jesus, as ye did receive from us how it behoveth you to walk and to please God, that ye may abound the more,

For God did not call us to a life of immorality, but to one of personal purity.

he, therefore, who is despising -- doth not despise man, but God, who also did give His Holy Spirit to us.

and to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we did command you,

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

who did die for us, that whether we wake -- whether we sleep -- together with him we may live;