Servants, in everything obey those who are your masters on earth, not only with external service, as those who merely please people, but with sincerity of heart because of your fear of the Lord.

knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.

For he who does wrong will be punished for his wrongdoing, and [with God] there is no partiality [no special treatment based on a person’s position in life].

You who are masters must treat your slaves justly and fairly, and remember that you have a Master too, in heaven.

Be wise in your behaviour to those who are outside, making good use of the time.

Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].

All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:

Whom I sent to you for this same thing, so that he may know the things about you, and may encourage your hearts,

and with him is Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will let you know everything about the situation here [in Rome].

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner salutes you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom ye received orders, if he comes to you, welcome him),

and from Jesus, who is called Justus. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision (Jewish Christians), and they have proved to be an encouragement and a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you in his prayers, praying with genuine concern, [pleading] that you may [as people of character and courage] stand firm, [spiritually mature] and fully assured in all the will of God.

For I bear him record that he has a great zeal for you and for those who are in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.

Salute the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians, who believe in God the father, and in our Lord Jesus Christ. grace and peace be with you from God our father, and from Jesus Christ our Lord.

For we know, brothers whom God so loves, that he has chosen you,

so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

For they themselves report about us, telling what kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

and to [look forward and confidently] wait for [the coming of] His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who [personally] rescues us from the coming wrath [and draws us to Himself, granting us all the privileges and rewards of a new life with Him].

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].

we behav'd to you with a tender regard, even as a mother, who nurses her own children.

You are witnesses, and so is God, how unworldly and just and blameless was our behavior toward you who believe [in our Lord Jesus Christ].

to live lives [of honor, moral courage, and personal integrity] worthy of the God who [saves you and] calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

And we also thank God continually for this, that when you received the word of God [concerning salvation] which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its inherent, supernatural power in those of 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 killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and harassed and drove us out; and [they] continue to be highly displeasing to God and [to show themselves] hostile to all people,

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.

But we, brothers, who were orphaned from you for the time of an hour, in presence not in heart, hastened more earnestly to see your face, with much desire.

For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?

and send Timothy, our brother who works with us for God in the gospel of the Messiah, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,

Because of this, I too, no longer covering over it, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow he who tempts was tempting you, and our labor became in vain.

Then your hearts will be strong, blameless, and holy in the presence of God, who is our Father, when our Lord Jesus appears with all his saints.

that each man among you shall know how to procure a wife who shall be his own in purity and honour;

not out of evil passions as the heathen do who do not know God;

not to transgress and to exploit his brother in the matter, because the Lord [is] the one who avenges concerning all these [things], just as also we told you beforehand and testified solemnly.

So whoever rejects this teaching is rejecting not man but God who continues to put His Spirit in you.

And, in fact, ye are doing it unto all the brethren who arein the whole of Macedonia; but we exhort you, brethren, to abound still more,

That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

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.

then those of us who are still living will be caught up along with them on clouds in the air to meet the Lord, and so we shall be with the Lord forever.

When people say, "Such peace and security!" then suddenly destruction falls upon them, like birth pains upon a woman who is about to become a mother, but they shall not escape, no, not at all.

For those who sleep at night and those who get drunk are drunken at night,

but let us who belong to the day keep sober, clothed with faith and love for a coat of mail and with the hope of salvation for a helmet.

Because God appointed us not for wrath, but for an acquired possession of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.

who died for us, so that whether we still live or sleep we may live in fellowship with Him.

We beg you, brothers, to practice showing respect to those who labor among you, who are your leaders in the Lord's work, and who advise you;

We [earnestly] urge you, believers, admonish those who are out of line [the undisciplined, the unruly, the disorderly], encourage the timid [who lack spiritual courage], help the [spiritually] weak, be very patient with everyone [always controlling your temper].

Make sure that no one does anything wrong to someone who wrongs him, but always look for something good you can do for one another and for everyone.

in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

May God Himself, who gave you peace, consecrate your whole being. May you be safely kept, spirit, soul, and body, so as to be blameless when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back.

He who calls you is trustworthy and He will do this.

They are an evidence of the righteous judgment of God, who will count you worthy of his kingdom, in behalf of which you are even now suffering.

indeed, it is right for God to repay with crushing sorrows those who cause you these crushing sorrows,

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

in a flame of fire, who will take vengeance on those who do not know God, that is, those who will not listen to the good news of our Lord Jesus.

Men who will suffer punishment, a penalty of eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

when on that day He comes to be glorified in His consecrated ones and to be admired by all who believe in Him because our testimony has been confidently accepted among you.

Do not let anybody at all deceive you about this, because that cannot take place until the great revolt occurs and the representative of lawlessness is uncovered, the one who is doomed to destruction,

the one who keeps up his opposition and so far exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, that he actually takes his seat in the sanctuary of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work, but only until he who is holding it back has been gotten out of the way.

And then the lawless will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and will neutralize at the appearance of his coming.

who by the instigation of satan will make his parade with various arts, with fallacious signs and prodigies,

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

But for you, brothers, whom the Lord loves, I ought to give thanks to God continually, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation in consecration of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and graciously given us encouragement that is eternal, and a hope that is well-founded,

and that we may be delivered from wrong-headed and wicked men; for it is not everybody who has faith.

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and will keep you from evil.

Now we charge you, brothers, on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, to hold yourselves aloof from any brother who is living as a shirker instead of following the teachings you received from us.

For we hear of some who walk among you disorderly, not working at all, but being busybodies.

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

And may the Lord who gives us peace give you peace in whatever circumstances you may be. The Lord be with you all.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope;

that is, if he understands that law is not enacted for upright people but for the lawless and disorderly, the godless and sinful, the ignorant and profane, people who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers,

the immoral, men who practice sodomy, men who make other men their slaves, liars, perjurers, or anything else that is contrary to sound teaching,

I am always thanking Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me strength for it, for thinking me trustworthy and putting me into the ministry,

the man who was formerly blasphemous, and a persecutor, and an aggressor. But I obtained mercy because I did it being ignorant in unbelief.

Faithful is the saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinful men, of whom I am foremost.

Yet, mercy was shown me for the very purpose that in my case as the foremost of sinners Jesus might display His perfect patience, to make me an example to those who in the future might believe on Him to obtain eternal life.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

I transmit these instructions to you, Timotheus my son, in accordance with what the prophets said who first directed me to you; fight the good fight on these lines,

holding faith and a good conscience, which some having thrust from them, as it respects faith have made shipwreck; of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander,

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 who are in authority, so that we may lead peaceful, quiet lives in perfect piety and seriousness.

who is ever willing for all mankind to be saved and to come to an increasing knowledge of the truth.

who gave Himself as a ransom for all, a fact that was testified to at the proper time,

but with good deeds; for this is appropriate for women who profess to be pious.

It was Adam who was first formed, then Eve.

and it was not Adam who was deceived, but it was the woman who was utterly deceived and fell into transgression.

This is a trustworthy saying: The one who would an elder be, a noble task desires he.

not fond of wine, not quarrelsome, not one who makes money by base means; but gentle, not contentious, not covetous;

a man who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all propriety

It is needful, moreover, to have, an honourable testimony also, from them who are without, lest, into reproach, he fall, and the snare of the adversary.

but men who hold the deep truths of the Faith and have a clear conscience.

Let deacons be the husband of but one wife, men who rule their children and their household properly.

For those who render good service win a good standing for themselves in their faith in Christ Jesus.

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.