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

Because our good news came to you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit, so that you were completely certain of it; even as you saw what our behaviour to you was like from our love to you.

So that you became an example to all those who have faith in Christ in Macedonia and Achaia.

For not only was the word of the Lord sounding out from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God is made clear; so that we have no need to say anything.

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.

But even as the good news was given to us by the approval of God, so we give it out; not as pleasing men, but God by whom our hearts are tested.

Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us.

For you have the memory, my brothers, of our trouble and care; how, working night and day, so that we might not be a trouble to any of you, we gave you the good news of God.

Even as you saw how, like a father with his children, we were teaching and comforting you all, and giving witness,

So that your lives might be pleasing to God, who has given you a part in his kingdom and his glory.

But we, my brothers, being away from you for a short time, in body but not in heart, had all the more desire to see your face;

At last our desire to have news of you was so strong that, while we ourselves were waiting at Athens,

We sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the good news of Christ, to give you strength and comfort in your faith;

So that no man might be moved by these troubles; because you see that these things are part of God's purpose for us.

And when we were with you, we said to you that trouble was before us; and so it came about, as you see.

But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has given us good news of your faith and love, and that you have happy memories of us, desiring greatly to see us, even as we do to see you;

Night and day requesting God again and again that we may see your face and make your faith complete.

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.

And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.

So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour;

Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.

But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary;

But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.

For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.

Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord.

So then, give comfort to one another with these words.

But about the times and their order, my brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you.

When they say, There is peace and no danger, then sudden destruction will come on them, as birth-pains on a woman with child; and they will not be able to get away from it.

So then, let us not take our rest as the others do, but let us be self-controlled and awake.

For those who are sleeping do so in the night; and those who are the worse for drink are so in the night;

For God's purpose for us is not wrath, but salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who was put to death for us, so that, awake or sleeping, we may have a part in his life.

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