For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.

For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you.

For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

since he longed for you all, and was very troubled, because you had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick, nearly to death, but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow.

because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ.

Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.

For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ,

For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

Yes, I beg you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.

For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need.

Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.

We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News,

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don't cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;

For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.

For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the assembly;

the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

for which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.

And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men,

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds;

I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,

and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the Kingdom of God who are of the circumcision, men who have been a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

For I testify about him, that he has great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis.

We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,

and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything.

For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead -- Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn't in vain,

For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.

For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),

Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.

For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.

For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;

But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn't it even you, before our Lord Jesus at his coming?

For you are our glory and our joy.

that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.

For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know.

For this cause I also, when I couldn't stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

for this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith.

For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God;

For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,

For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,

for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more;

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,

For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.

For when they are saying, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.

For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night.

But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

and to respect and honor them in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

Brothers, pray for us.

We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.

This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.

and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,

To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power;

Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,