Paul, Silvanus and Timothy. Unto the congregation of the Thessalonians, which are in God our father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are indebted to thank God always about you, brothers, as it is fitting, because your faith is increasing greatly, and the love of each one of you all toward each other abounds.

so that we are always boasting of you among the churches of God for your patient endurance and faith, in spite of your persecutions and crushing sorrows which you are enduring.

This is a proof of God's righteous judgment, His aim being to let you show yourselves worthy of His kingdom, for which you are suffering; since,

For truly God's justice must render back trouble to those who are troubling you,

and to give rest to you who are being crushed with sorrows, along with us, at the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, with His mighty angels

With this in view we are always praying for you too, that our God may make you worthy of His call, and by His power fully satisfy your every desire for goodness, and complete every activity of your faith,

and with a completely wicked deception for men who are on the way to destruction, because they refused to love the truth so as to be saved.

so that they all should be condemned, who are faithless to the truth, but take pleasure in evil.

But we are indebted to express thanks to God always about you, brothers, beloved by Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation, in sanctification of spirit and belief of truth,

We have confidence in you through the Lord that you are now practicing the directions which we give you and that you will continue to do so.

For you yourselves are used to taking us as your example, because our life among you was ruled by order,

But we are informed that some among you are living as shirkers, mere busybodies, instead of busy at work.

Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

You are not to treat him as an enemy, but to put him under discipline, as a brother.

These words of love to you at the end are in my writing, Paul's writing, and this is the mark of every letter from me.