11 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy , To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ : Grace to you and peace .
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers ; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and [1] steadfastness of hope [2]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father , 4 knowing , brethren beloved by God , His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only , but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction ; just as you know what kind of men we [3]proved to be among you for your sake .
6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord , having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit , 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia . 8 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 . 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a [4] reception we had [5]with you, and how you turned to God from [6]idols to serve [7] a living and true God , 10 and to wait for His Son from [8]heaven , whom He raised from the dead , that is Jesus , who rescues us from the wrath to come .
21 For you yourselves know , brethren , that our coming to you was not in vain , 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi , as you know , we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition . 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit ; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel , so we speak , not as pleasing men , but God who examines our hearts . 5 For we never e came with flattering speech , as you know , nor with a pretext for greed - God is witness - 6 nor did we seek glory from men , either from you or from others , even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted e our authority .
7 But we proved to be gentle among e you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children . 8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives , because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you recall , brethren , our labor and hardship , how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God . 10 You are witnesses , and so is God , how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers ; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children , 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory .
13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men , but for what it really is, the word of God , which also performs its work in you who believe . 14 For you, brethren , became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea , for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen , even as they did from the Jews , 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets , and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God , but hostile to all men , 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved ; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins . But wrath has come upon them to the utmost .
17 But we, brethren , having been taken away from you for a short e while - in person , not in spirit -were all the more eager with great desire to see your face . 18 For we wanted to come to you-I, Paul , more e than once -and yet Satan hindered us. 19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation ? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming ? 20 For you are our glory and joy .
31 Therefore when we could endure it no longer , we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone , 2 and we sent Timothy , our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ , to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith , 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions ; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this . 4 For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction ; and so it came to pass , as you know . 5 For this reason , when I could endure it no longer , I also sent to find out about your faith , for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain .
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love , and that you always think e kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, 7 for this reason , brethren , in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith ; 8 for now we really live , if you stand firm in the Lord . 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account , 10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face , and may complete what is lacking in your faith ?
11 Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause e you to increase and abound in love for one another , and for all people , just as we also do for you; 13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints .
41 Finally then , brethren , we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus , that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk ), that you excel still more . 2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus . 3 For this is the will of God , your sanctification ; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality ; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor , 5 not in lustful passion , like the Gentiles who do not know God ; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things , just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity , but in sanctification . 8 So , he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now as to the love of the brethren , you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another ; 10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia . But we urge you, brethren , to excel still more , 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands , just as we commanded you, 12 so that you will behave properly toward outsiders e and not be in any need .
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed , brethren , about those who are asleep , so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope . 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again , even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus . 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord , that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord , will not precede those who have fallen asleep . 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God , and the dead in Christ will rise first . 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air , and so we shall always be with the Lord . 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words .
51 Now as to the times and the epochs , brethren , you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night . 3 While they are saying , " Peace and safety !" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child e , and they will not escape . 4 But you, brethren , are not in darkness , that the day would overtake you like a thief ; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day . We are not of night nor of darkness ;
6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober . 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night , and those who get drunk get drunk at night . 8 But since we are of the day , let us be sober , having put on the breastplate of faith and love , and as a helmet , the hope of salvation . 9 For God has not destined us for wrath , but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ , 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep , we will live together with Him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another , just as you also are doing .
12 But we request of you, brethren , that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction , 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work . Live in peace with one another . 14 We urge you, brethren , admonish the unruly , encourage the fainthearted , help the weak , be patient with everyone . 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil , but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people .
16 Rejoice always ; 17 pray without ceasing ; 18 in everything give thanks ; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus . 19 Do not quench the Spirit ; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances . 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good ; 22 abstain from every form of evil .
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely ; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete , without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ . 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass .
25 Brethren , pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss . 27 I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren . 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
11 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy , To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ : 2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ .
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren , as is only fitting , because your faith is greatly enlarged , and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater ; 4 therefore , we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your [9]perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure .
5 This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God , for which indeed you are suffering . 6 [10]For after all it is only just [11]for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted [12]and to us as well [13] when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with [14]His mighty angels in flaming fire , 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus . 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction , away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power , 10 when He comes to be glorified [15]in His [16]saints on that day , and to be marveled at among all who have believed -for our testimony to you was believed .
11 To this end also we pray for you always , that our God will [17] count you worthy of your calling , and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power , 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ .
21 Now we request you, brethren , with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come .
3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless e the apostasy comes first , and the man of lawlessness is revealed , the son of destruction , 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship , so that he takes his seat in the temple of God , displaying himself as being God . 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things ? 6 And you know what restrains him now , so that in his time he will be revealed . 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work ; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way . 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming ; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan , with all power and signs and false wonders , 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish , because e they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved . 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false , 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth , but took pleasure in wickedness .
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord , because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth . 14 It was for this He called you through our gospel , that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ . 15 So then , brethren , stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught , whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father , who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace , 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word .
31 Finally , brethren , pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified , just as it did also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men ; for not all have faith . 3 But the Lord is faithful , and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command . 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ .
6 Now we command you, brethren , in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ , that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example , because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's e bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9 not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example . 10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order : if anyone is not willing to work , then he is not to eat , either . 11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life , doing no work at all , but acting like busybodies . 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread . 13 But as for you, brethren , do not grow weary of doing good . 14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter , take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame . 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy , but admonish him as a brother .
16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually e grant you peace in every circumstance . The Lord be with you all ! 17 I, Paul , write this greeting with my own hand , and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter ; this is the way I write . 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all .
