We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

For we never fail to remember your works of faith and labours of love and your persistent and unwavering hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father;

For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you;

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

You became imitators of us and [through us] of the Lord, after you welcomed our message in [a time of] great trouble with the joy supplied by the Holy Spirit;

As a result, you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:

But after we had first undergone much pain and been cruelly attacked as you saw, at Philippi, by the help of God we gave you the good news without fear, though everything was against us.

For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

for since we have been so approved by God as to be entrusted with the good news, we are now telling it, not to please men but God, who proves and finds approved our hearts.

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

Or looking for glory from men, from you or from others, when we might have made ourselves a care to you as Apostles of Christ.

But we were gentle among you, like a woman caring for her little ones:

Having such a deep affection for you, we were delighted to share with you not only God’s good news but also our own lives, because you had become so very dear to us.

For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, with God, how holy and upright and free from all evil was our way of life among you who have faith;

For you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you just as a father does [in dealing with] his own children, [guiding you]

for your walking worthily of God, who is calling you to His own reign and glory.

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

For which reason we made attempts to come to you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan kept us from coming.

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

For ye are our glory and joy.

Therefore, when we could no longer endure our separation [from you], we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens,

and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and to encourage you about your faith,

That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

But, Timothy having just now come to us from you, and having brought us good tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us at all times, longing to see us, as we also to see you??7 for this reason, brethren, we were comforted over you, in all our tribulation and distress, through your faith;

for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith:

For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

night and day praying exceedingly for me to see your face and to perfect the things lacking in your faith?

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus make a way for us to come to you;

And may the Lord cause you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;

So that your hearts may be strong and free from all sin before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

For the rest, then, brethren, we beg you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, even as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and please God, even as ye also do walk, that ye would abound still more.

For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

that every one of you should know how to procure for himself his own vessel in purity and honor,

And not for the mere gratification of his passions, like the Gentiles who know nothing of God;

and that [in this matter of sexual misconduct] no man shall transgress and defraud his brother because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we have told you before and solemnly warned you.

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

For surely therefore he despising, despises not man, but God, he also giving his holy Spirit for us.

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more;

and to vie with one another in eagerness for peace, every one minding his own business and working with his hands, as we ordered you to do:

[Do these things] so that you will live in a proper way in front of outsiders [i.e., non-Christians], and not have [to depend on people for] any needs.

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life].

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always.

And so we shall be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Now as to the times and dates, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

But you, believers, [all you who believe in Christ as Savior and acknowledge Him as God’s Son] are not in spiritual darkness [nor held by its power], that the day [of judgment] would overtake you [by surprise] like a thief;

for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness;

For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to appreciate those who diligently work among you [recognize, acknowledge, and respect your leaders], who are in charge over you in the Lord and who give you instruction,

And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

We exhort you, brethren, admonish the unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, earnestly care for the weak-minded, be of a long-suffering disposition toward all.

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brethren, pray for us.

I bind you by oath, for the epistle to be read to all the holy brethren.