For it is common knowledge among you that we never made use of smooth-sounding false words, and God is witness that at no time were we secretly desiring profit for ourselves,

Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear 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;

So that your lives might be pleasing to God, who has given you a part in his kingdom and his glory.

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, my brothers, took as your examples the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; because you underwent the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Jews;

Who put to death the Lord Jesus and the prophets, violently driving us out; who are unpleasing to God and against all men;

Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree.

We sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the good news of Christ, to give you strength and comfort in your faith;

So that no man might be moved by these troubles; because you see that these things are part of God's purpose for us.

For this reason, when I was no longer able to keep quiet, I sent to get news of your faith, fearing that you might be tested by the Evil One and that our work might come to nothing.

But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has given us good news of your faith and love, and that you have happy memories of us, desiring greatly to see us, even as we do to see you;

For how great is the praise which we give to God for you, and how great the joy with which we are glad because of you before our God;

Night and day requesting God again and again that we may see your face and make your faith complete.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus make a way for us to come to you;

So that your hearts may be strong and free from all sin before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

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 the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;

Not in the passion of evil desires, like the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of God;

And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.

Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.

Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary;

And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;

For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

When they say, There is peace and no danger, then sudden destruction will come on them, as birth-pains on a woman with child; and they will not be able to get away from it.

For God's purpose for us is not wrath, but salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Let no one give evil for evil; but ever go after what is good, for one another and for all.

In everything give praise: for this is the purpose of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Let all things be tested; keep to what is good;

And may the God of peace himself make you holy in every way; and may your spirit and soul and body be free from all sin at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, because of the great increase of your faith, and the wealth of your love for one another;

So that we ourselves take pride in you in the churches of God for your untroubled mind and your faith in all the troubles and sorrows which you are going through;

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;

For it is an act of righteousness on God's part to give trouble as their reward to those who are troubling you,

To give punishment to those who have no knowledge of God, and to those who do not give ear to the good news of our Lord Jesus:

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.

Who puts himself against all authority, lifting himself up over all which is named God or is given worship; so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, putting himself forward as God.

And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false:

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.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who had love for us and has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,

Give you comfort and strength in every good work and word.

And may your hearts be guided by the Lord into the love of God and quiet waiting for Christ.

Now to such we give orders and make request in the Lord Jesus, that, working quietly, they get their living.

And you, my brothers, do not get tired of well-doing.

Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the order of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus our hope;

To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Or to give attention to stories and long lists of generations, from which come questionings and doubts, in place of God's ordered way of life which is in faith;

We are conscious that the law is good, if a man makes a right use of it,

Which may be seen in the good news of the glory of the great God, which was given into my care.

Though I had said violent words against God, and done cruel acts, causing great trouble: but I was given mercy, because I did it without knowledge, not having faith;

Now to the King eternal, ever-living, unseen, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. So be it.

This order I give to you, Timothy my son, in harmony with the words of the prophets about you, so that by them you may be strong, fighting the good fight,

Such are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given up to Satan, so that they may say no more evil words against God.

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.

This is good and pleasing in the eyes of God our Saviour;

For there is one God and one peacemaker between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

And that women may be dressed in simple clothing, with a quiet and serious air; not with twisted hair and gold or jewels or robes of great price;

But clothed with good works, as is right for women who are living in the fear of God.

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.

This is a true saying, A man desiring the position of a Bishop has a desire for a good work.

The Bishop, then, is to be a man of good name, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, serious-minded, having respect for order, opening his house freely to guests, a ready teacher;

(For if a man has not the art of ruling his house, how will he take care of the church of God?)

And he is to have a good name among those outside the church, so that nothing may be said against him and he may not be taken by the designs of the Evil One.

For those who have done good work as Deacons get for themselves a good position and become free from fear in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

But if I am long in coming, this will make clear to you what behaviour is right for men in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of what is true.

And without argument, great is the secret of religion: He who was seen in the flesh, who was given God's approval in the spirit, was seen by the angels, of whom the good news was given among the nations, in whom the world had faith, who was taken up in glory.

Who keep men from being married and from taking food which God made to be taken with praise by those who have faith and true knowledge.

Because everything which God has made is good, and nothing is evil, if it is taken with praise:

For it is made holy by the word of God and by prayer.

If you keep these things before the minds of the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the right teaching which has been your guide:

And this is the purpose of all our work and our fighting, because our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and specially of those who have faith.

Give attention to yourself and your teaching. Go on in these things; for in doing so you will get salvation for yourself and for those who give hearing to you.

But if any widow has children or children's children, let these see that it is right to take care of their family and their fathers and mothers: for this is pleasing in the eyes of God.

Now she who is truly a widow and without family puts her hope in God, giving herself to prayer day and night.

And if witness is given of her good works; if she has had the care of children, if she has been kind to travellers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those who are in trouble, giving herself to good works.

And they get into the way of doing no work, going about from house to house; and not only doing no work, but talking foolishly, being over-interested in the business of others, saying things which they have no right to say.

Let rulers whose rule is good be honoured twice over, specially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

I give you orders before God and Christ Jesus and the angels of God's selection, to keep these orders without giving thought to one side more than another.

Do not take only water as your drink, but take a little wine for the good of your stomach, and because you are frequently ill.

In the same way, there are good works which are clearly seen; and those which are not so, may not be kept secret.

Let all who are servants under the yoke give all honour to their masters, so that no evil may be said against the name of God and his teaching.

And let those whose masters are of the faith have respect for them because they are brothers, working for them the more readily, because those who take part in the good work are of the faith and are dear. Give orders and teaching about these things.

But you, O man of God, keep yourself from these things, and go after righteousness, religion, faith, love, a quiet mind, gentle behaviour.

Be fighting the good fight of the faith; take for yourself the life eternal, for which you were marked out, and of which you gave witness in the eyes of all.

I give you orders before God, the giver of life, and Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate gave witness to the faith,

Give orders to those who have money and goods in this life, not to be lifted up in their minds, or to put their hope in the uncertain chances of wealth, but in God who gives us in full measure all things for our use;

And to do good, having wealth in good works, being quick to give, taking part with one another;

O Timothy, take good care of that which is given to you, turning away from the wrong and foolish talk and arguments of that knowledge which is falsely so named;

Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the purpose of God, in the hope of the life which is in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my well-loved child: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I give praise to God, whose servant I have been, with a heart free from sin, from the time of my fathers, because in my prayers at all times the thought of you is with me, night and day

For this reason I say to you, Let that grace of God which is in you, given to you by my hands, have living power.

For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control.