Paul and Silas and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians which is in God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you, and peace.

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.

From you, in fact, hath sounded forth the word of the Lord - not only m Macedonia and in Achaia, but, in every place, your faith which is toward God, hath gone forth, so that, no need, have we to be saying anything;

and to [look forward and confidently] wait for [the coming of] His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who [personally] rescues us from the coming wrath [and draws us to Himself, granting us all the privileges and rewards of a new life with Him].

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

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing 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.

to live lives [of honor, moral courage, and personal integrity] worthy of the God who [saves you and] calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

And we also thank God continually for this, that when you received the word of God [concerning salvation] which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its inherent, supernatural power in those of faith].

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,

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

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 unsettled by these difficulties [to which I have referred]. For you know that we have been destined for this [as something unavoidable in our position].

For what thanks can we repay God about you, for all the joy in which we rejoiced because of you before our God,

Night and day, making very abundant entreaties, that we may see your face, and fit in the things which are 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.

Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

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

And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

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.

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them 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.

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

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

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

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