forbidding us to speak to the nations that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always, but the anger did come upon them -- to the end!

And we, brethren, having been taken from you for the space of an hour -- in presence, not in heart -- did hasten the more abundantly to see your face in much desire,

wherefore we wished to come unto you, (I indeed Paul,) both once and again, and the Adversary did hinder us;

and did send Timotheus -- our brother, and a ministrant of God, and our fellow-workman in the good news of the Christ -- to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith,

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;

because of this also, I, no longer forbearing, did send to know your faith, lest he who is tempting did tempt you, and in vain might be our labour.

As to the rest, then, brethren, we request you, and call upon you in the Lord Jesus, as ye did receive from us how it behoveth you to walk and to please God, that ye may abound the more,

for God did not call us on uncleanness, but in sanctification;

he, therefore, who is despising -- doth not despise man, but God, who also did give His Holy Spirit to us.

and to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we did command you,

Now I would not have you, my brethren, be mistaken about the state of the dead, lest you should be as greatly afflicted as those, who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again [from the dead], [we also believe] that God will bring [back to life], along with Jesus, those in [fellowship with] Him who have fallen asleep [in death].

For we say this to you by [the authority of] the word of the Lord [Note: Paul was either quoting what Jesus had previously said, or was giving a revelation he had received from the Lord. See I Cor. 14:37], that we [Christians] who are [still] alive, who are left [on earth] when the Lord returns, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [Note: The point Paul is making is that the living will not be "changed" (I Cor. 15:51-52) and taken to heaven before the dead are raised].

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we who are alive and remain [on the earth] will simultaneously be caught up (raptured) together with them [the resurrected ones] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord!

because God did not appoint us to anger, but to the acquiring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who did die for us, that whether we wake -- whether we sleep -- together with him we may live;

when he comes to be glorified among his saints and admired on that day among all who have believed -- and you did in fact believe our testimony.

and in all deceitfulness of the unrighteousness in those perishing, because the love of the truth they did not receive for their being saved,

that they may be judged -- all who did not believe the truth, but were well pleased in the unrighteousness.

And we -- we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, that God did choose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth,

to which He did call you through our good news, to the acquiring of 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.

and may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who did love us, and did give comfort age-during, and good hope in grace,

graciously encourage your hearts and strengthen them for all good in deed and word.

For the rest, brethren, be praying for us, - that, the word of the Lord, may be running, and gaining glory, according as it did even with you;

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

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us.

for even when we were with you, this we did command you, that if any one is not willing to work, neither let him eat,

according as I did exhort thee to remain in Ephesus -- I going on to Macedonia -- that thou mightest charge certain not to teach any other thing,

from which certain, having swerved, did turn aside to vain discourse,

And I give thanks to him who enabled me -- Christ Jesus our Lord -- that he did reckon me stedfast, having put me to the ministration,

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

and exceedingly abound did the grace of our Lord, with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus:

having faith and a good conscience, which certain having thrust away, concerning the faith did make shipwreck,

of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I did deliver to the Adversary, that they might be instructed not to speak evil.

who did give himself a ransom for all -- the testimony in its own times --

and He must not be a new convert, so that he will not [behave stupidly and] become conceited [by appointment to this high office] and fall into the [same] condemnation incurred by the devil [for his arrogance and pride].

Similarly, deacons should be serious-minded [i.e., dignified], not saying one thing while meaning another, not drinking a lot of wine [Note: The wine of Paul's day was used as a common drink, and was either non-intoxicating or far less intoxicating than wine today], not wanting to get money by questionable [or, dishonest] means.

for those who did minister well a good step to themselves do acquire, and much boldness in faith that is in Christ Jesus.

But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

having judgment, because the first faith they did cast away,

for already certain did turn aside after the Adversary.

For the Scripture says [Deut. 25:4], "You should not put a muzzle on the ox while it tramples over the grain." And [Luke 10:7], "The worker deserves his wages."

Bitter talk of men who, being evil in mind and dead to what is true, take the faith to be a way of making profit.

for nothing did we bring into the world -- it is manifest that we are able to carry nothing out;

for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows;

I charge thee, before God, who is making all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who did testify before Pontius Pilate the right profession,

who only is having immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable, whom no one of men did see, nor is able to see, to whom is honour and might age-during! Amen.

which certain professing -- concerning the faith did swerve; the grace is with you. Amen.

{I am thankful} to God, whom I have served with a clear conscience {as my ancestors did}, when {I remember you constantly} in my prayers night and day,

for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

who did save us, and did call with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, that was given to us in Christ Jesus, before the times of the ages,

and was made manifest now through the manifestation of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who indeed did abolish death, and did enlighten life and immortality through the good news,

thou hast known this, that they did turn from me -- all those in Asia, of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes;

may the Lord give kindness to the house of Onesiphorus, because many times he did refresh me, and of my chain was not ashamed,

may the Lord give to him to find kindness from the Lord in that day; and how many things in Ephesus he did minister thou dost very well know.

no one serving as a soldier did entangle himself with the affairs of life, that him who did enlist him he may please;

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:

who concerning the truth did swerve, saying the rising again to have already been, and do overthrow the faith of some;

If a person rids himself of the common ones [i.e., the influences of evil people and qualities], he will be an instrument for [God's] honor, dedicated, suitable for use by the Master, [and] prepared for [doing] every good deed.

Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Moses did not meet with greater opposition from Jannes and Jambres, than truth does from men so corrupted in their mind, and so adulterated in their faith.

but they shall not advance any further, for their folly shall be manifest to all, as theirs also did become.

But you did follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,

the persecutions, the afflictions, that befell me in Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of all the Lord did deliver me,

so that the man of God will be thoroughly equipped for [doing] every good deed.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

The coat which I did not take from Troas and which is with Carpus, get when you come, and the books, specially the papers.

Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

of whom do you also beware; for greatly did he withstand our words.

and the Lord stood by me, and did strengthen me, that through me the preaching might be fully assured, and all the nations might hear, and I was freed out of the mouth of a lion,

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will save [me] for his heavenly kingdom, to whom [be] the glory {forever and ever}. Amen.

Erastus did remain in Corinth, and Trophimus I left in Miletus infirm;

upon hope of life age-during, which God, who doth not lie, did promise before times of ages,

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that the things lacking thou mayest arrange, and mayest set down in every city elders, as I did appoint to thee;

They profess to know God [to recognize and be acquainted with Him], but by their actions they deny and disown Him. They are detestable and disobedient and worthless for good work of any kind.

who did give himself for us, that he might ransom us from all lawlessness, and might purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works;

Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,

and when the kindness and the love to men of God our Saviour did appear

not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

so that we would be justified [made free of the guilt of sin] by His [compassionate, undeserved] grace, and that we would be [acknowledged as acceptable to Him and] made heirs of eternal life [actually experiencing it] according to our hope (His guarantee).

I entreat thee concerning my child -- whom I did beget in my bonds -- Onesimus,

whom I did send again, and thou him (that is, my own bowels) receive,

whom I did wish to retain to myself, that in thy behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the good news,

and apart from thy mind I willed to do nothing, that as of necessity thy good deed may not be, but of willingness,

for perhaps because of this he did depart for an hour, that age-duringly thou mayest have him,

and if he did hurt to thee, or doth owe anything, this to me be reckoning;

I, Paul did write with my hand, I -- I will repay; that I may not say that also thyself, besides, to me thou dost owe.

having been confident in thy obedience I did write to thee, having known that also above what I may say thou wilt do;

in these last days did speak to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He did make the ages;

having become so much better than the messengers, as he did inherit a more excellent name than they.

For to which of the angels did the Father ever say,

“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten (fathered) You [established You as a Son, with kingly dignity]”?

And again [did He ever say to the angels],

“I shall be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?

And again, when God sent the Firstborn One [i.e., Jesus. See Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Rev. 1:5] into the world, He said [Deut. 32:43 LXX], "And all of God's angels should worship Him."

thou didst love righteousness, and didst hate lawlessness; because of this did He anoint thee -- God, thy God -- with oil of gladness above thy partners;'

And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
And the heavens are the works of Your hands;

But to which of the angels did he ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?

for if the word being spoken through messengers did become stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience did receive a just recompense,