Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

never forgetting the effects of your faith, your charitable offices, and the constancy of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ; of which God is our witness.

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 you imitated us, and were imitators of the Lord, having receiv'd the word, notwithstanding all your afflictions, with that alacrity, which the holy spirit inspires.

For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not in Macedonia and in Achaia only: but your faith also which ye have unto God, spread herself abroad in all quarters, so greatly that it needeth not us to speak anything at all:

and for to look for his son from heaven, whom he raised from death: I mean Jesus, which delivereth us from wrath to come.

For, yourselves, know, brethren, our entrance which was unto you - that it hath not proved void;

but as we were allowed of God, that the gospel should be committed unto us: even so we speak, not as though we intended to please men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

That was the kind of affection we had for you, which made us ready to share with you not only God's good news but our own lives too, because you were so dear to us.

that ye would walk worthy of God, which hath called you unto his 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;

which as they killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, even so have they persecuted us, and God they please not, and are contrary to all men:

who by obstructing our endeavours to save the Gentiles, continue to fill up the measure of their enormities; for which consummate vengeance is falling upon them.

For which reason we wished to come to you; I Paul indeed once and again, and Satan hindered us.

For what is my hope, or joy? What is the victor's wreath in which I exult? What but your own selves in the presence of our Lord Jesus, at his coming!

so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions, for which you are aware that we were destined.

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;

night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

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.

For you are aware of the instructions which we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

and not in the lust of concupiscence, as do the heathen, which know not God,

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, which hath sent his holy spirit among you.

Yea, and that thing verily ye do unto all the brethren, which are throughout all Macedonia. We beseech you brethren that ye increase, more and more,

I would not, brethren, have you ignorant concerning them which are fallen asleep, that ye sorrow not as others do which have no hope.

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

And this say we unto you in the word of the Lord, that we which live and are remaining in the coming of the Lord, shall not come before they which sleep.

then shall we which live and remain, be caught up with them also in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

But let us which are of the day be sober, armed with the breast plate of faith and love, and with hope of salvation as a helmet.

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

We beseech you brethren, that ye know them which labour among you, and have the oversight of you in the Lord,

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

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

Faithful is he, which called you: which will also do it.