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

because our good news did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, even as ye have known of what sort we became among you because of you,

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

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

For they themselves proclaim of us what entrance we have to you, and how ye turned to God from images to serve the living and true God;

For yourselves have known, brethren, our entrance in unto you, that it did not become vain,

but having both suffered before, and having been injuriously treated (as ye have known) in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the good news of God in much conflict,

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel [that tells the good news of salvation through faith in Christ], so we speak, not as [if we were trying] to please people [to gain power and popularity], but to please God who examines our hearts [expecting our best].

for at no time did we come with speech of flattery, (as ye have known,) nor in a pretext for covetousness, (God is witness!)

nor did we seek glory and honor from people, neither from you nor from anyone else, though as apostles of Christ we had the power to assert our authority.

Although we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, instead we were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nurtures her own children.

Thus being desirous of you, we were pleased to impart to you, not only the good-news of God, but also our own souls, because ye have become beloved 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.

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

even as ye have known, how each one of you, as a father his own children, we are exhorting you, and comforting, and testifying,

And for this cause we still give praise to God, that, when the word came to your ears through us, you took it, not as the word of man, but, as it truly is, the word of God, which has living power in you who have 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,

Who have both slain the, Lord, Jesus - and the prophets, and, us, have persecuted, and, unto God, are displeasing, and, unto all men, are contrary, -

as they try to keep us from telling the gentiles how they can be saved. As a result, they are constantly adding to the number of sins they have committed. However, wrath has overtaken them at last!

As for me, my brethren, having been so abruptly separated from you, in person, tho' not in affection, I have the more ardently endeavour'd to see you again.

For that reason I would fain have visited you??, Paul, again and again??ut Satan hindered me.

For what hope or happiness shall we have or what prize to be proud of in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes, except you?

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

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 even when we were with you, we said to you beforehand, that we are about to suffer tribulation, as also it did come to pass, and ye have known it;

For this cause, I also, no longer concealing my anxiety, sent, that I might get to know your faith, lest by any means he that tempteth, should have tempted you, and, in vain, should have been our toil.

But now of Timothy, having come to us from you, and having proclaimed good news to us of your faith and love, and that ye always have a good recollection of us, longing to see us, just as we also you,

I have been comforted, my brothers, in regard to you, in spite of all my distress and affliction over your faith.

how can I be sufficiently thankful to God upon your account, for all the joy, which by your means we have been affected with,

Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God—as you are doing—do so even more.

Because you have in mind the orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

that each one should know how to have his wife in purity and honor,

not in passion of lust, as also the Gentiles who have not known 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.

Now as to brotherly love, you have no need of anyone's writing you, for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another,

and that you make it your study to live peaceably, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we have enjoined you;

so that ye may walk properly toward those outside, and may have nothing lacking.

Also we do not want you to have any misunderstanding, brothers, about those who are falling asleep, so as to keep you from grieving over them as others do who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then through Jesus, God will bring back with Him those who have fallen asleep.

For on the Lord's own authority we say that those of us who may be left behind and are still living when the Lord comes back, will have no advantage at all over those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the [blast of the] trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Therefore, comfort one another with what I have told you.

But as to times and dates, brothers, you have no need of anyone's writing you,

For you yourselves have the knowledge that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

You all belong to the light and the day. We have nothing to do with night or with darkness.

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.

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

And have a high opinion of them in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

We desire you brethren warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, forbear the weak, have continual patience toward all men.

Have joy at all times.

God, by whom you have been marked out in his purpose, is unchanging and will make it complete.

I solemnly charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

May you have unearned favor and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We always have to thank God for you, brothers, as it is right that we should, because your faith is growing so wonderfully and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

So as for us ourselves to have pride in you in the congregations of God, for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and in the tribulations that ye endure,

Which is a clear sign of the decision which God in his righteousness has made; to give you a part in his kingdom, for which you have undergone this pain;

in a fire of flame rendering vengeance to those who have not known God, and to those not obeying the good-news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day.

For this reason, you are ever in our prayers, that you may seem to our God such as may have a part in his purpose and that by his power he will make all his good purpose, and the work of faith, complete;

So that glory may be given to the name of our Lord Jesus through you, and you may have glory in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

not readily to become unsettled in mind or troubled--either by any pretended spiritual revelation or by any message or letter claiming to have been sent by us--through fancying that the day of the Lord is now here.

Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed],

Have you no memory of what I said when I was with you, giving you word of these things?

and now, what is keeping down ye have known, for his being revealed in his own time,

And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation.

so that all who have refused to believe the truth but have chosen unrighteousness instead might be condemned.

But it is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because it was the purpose of God from the first that you might have salvation, being made holy by the Spirit and by faith in what is true:

And in this purpose he gave you a part through the good news of which we were the preachers, even that you might have part in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brothers, continue to stand firm and keep a tight grip on the teachings you have received from us, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

and that we may be delivered from unprincipled and wicked men; for not all men have faith.

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.

Now we command you, believers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His authority, that you withdraw and keep away from every brother or sister who leads an undisciplined life and does not live in accordance with the tradition and teaching that you have received from us.

for yourselves have known how it behoveth you to imitate us, because we did not act disorderly among you;

nor have we eaten bread from any one without cost; but in toil and hardship working night and day not to be chargeable to any one of you:

Not that I have no right to be supported, but to make myself an example for you to follow.

For even when we were with you we gave you orders, saying, If any man does no work, let him not have food.

We have heard say, no doubt, that there are some which walk among you inordinately, and work not at all, but are busybodies.

If anyone refuses to obey what we have said in this letter, mark that person and stop having anything to do with him, so that he will feel ashamed of it.

Have no feeling of hate for him, but take him in hand seriously as a brother.

[It is being sent] to Timothy, my true son in the faith [i.e., in the realm of Christianity, not in a physical sense]. May you have unearned favor, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Some people have stepped aside from these things and turned to fruitless talking.

Desiring to be teachers of the law, though they have no knowledge of what they say or of the statements which they make so certainly.

and we have known that the law is good, if any one may use it lawfully;

With the knowledge that the law is made, not for the upright man, but for those who have no respect for law and order, for evil men and sinners, for the unholy and those who have no religion, for those who put their fathers or mothers to death, for takers of life,

for the sexually immoral, for men who have sexual relations with men, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

as measured by the glorious good news of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

And I have gratitude to the Christ--Jesus our Lord--who empowered me, because he considered me faithful, having placed in service

But for this reason I was given mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might make clear all his mercy, as an example to those who in the future would have faith in him to eternal life.

by keeping your hold on faith and a good conscience; for some have thrust the latter aside and so have made shipwreck of their faith.

Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan to be so disciplined that they will stop their abusive speech.

For kings and all those in authority; so that we may have a calm and quiet life in all fear of God and serious behaviour.

Whose desire is that all men may have salvation and come to the knowledge of what is true.

Unto which, I, have been appointed proclaimer and apostle - Truth I speak, I utter no falsehood - a teacher of nations, in faith and truth.

So then I would have the men everywhere pray, lifting to God holy hands which are unstained with anger or strife;

and I would have the women dress becomingly, with modesty and self-control, not with plaited hair or gold or pearls or costly clothes,

In my opinion it is right for a woman not to be a teacher, or to have rule over a man, but to be quiet.

But they will be saved through motherhood, if they continue to have faith and to be loving and holy, and sensible as well.

Faithful is the saying, "If any one is eager to have the oversight of a Church, he desires a noble work."