PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS (1)

Chapter 1
1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the ecclesia of the Thessalonians, in God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We are thanking God always concerning you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
3 unintermittingly remembering your work of faith and toil of love and endurance of expectation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in front of our God and Father,
4 having perceived, brethren beloved by God, your choice,
5 for the evangel of our God did not come to you in word only, but in power also, and in holy spirit and much assurance, according as you are aware. Such we became among you, because of you.
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in much affliction with joy of holy spirit,
7 so that you become models to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
8 For from you has been sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God has come out, so that we have no need to be speaking of anything,
9 for they are reporting concerning us, what kind of an entrance we have had to you, and how you turn back to God from idols, to be slaving for the living and true God,
10 and to be waiting for His Son out of the heavens, Whom He rouses from among the dead, Jesus, our Rescuer out of the coming indignation.

Chapter 2
1 For you yourselves are aware, brethren, that our entrance to you has not come to be for naught,
2 but, though suffering before and being outraged in Philippi, according as you are aware, we are bold in our God to speak the evangel of God to you with a vast struggle.
3 For our entreaty is not out of deception, nor yet out of uncleanness, nor yet with guile
4 but, according as we have been tested by God to be entrusted with the evangel, thus are we speaking, not as pleasing men, but God, Who is testing our hearts.
5 For neither did we at any time become flattering in expression, according as you are aware; neither with a pretense for greed, God is witness;
6 neither seeking glory from men, neither from you, nor from others, when we could be a burden as Christ's apostles.
7 But we became gentle in your midst, as a nurse should be cherishing her own children.
8 Thus being ardently attached to you, we are delighting to share with you not only the evangel of God, but our own souls also, because you came to be beloved by us.
9 For you remember, brethren, our toil and labor: working night and day so as not to be burdensome to any of you, we herald to you the evangel of God.
10 You are witnesses, and God, how benignly and justly and blamelessly we became to you who are believing,
11 even as you are aware how we were to each one of you, as a father to his own children, consoling and comforting you and attesting unto you
12 to be walking worthily of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
13 And therefore we also are thanking God unintermittingly that, in accepting the word heard from us, from God you receive, not the word of men, but, according as it truly is, the word of God, which is operating also in you who are believing.
14 For you became imitators, brethren, of the ecclesias of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you suffered the same, even you by your own fellowtribesmen, according as they also by the Jews,
15 who kill the Lord Jesus as well as the prophets, and banish us, and are not pleasing to God, and are contrary to all men,
16 forbidding us to speak to the nations that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. Yet the indignation outstrips to them to a consummation.
17 Now we, brethren, being bereaved of you for the period of an hour, in face, not in heart, endeavor the more exceedingly to see your face, with much yearning,
18 because we want to come to you, indeed, I, Paul, once -- even twice -- and Satan hinders us.
19 For who is our expectation, or joy, or wreath of glorying? Or is it not even you, in front of our Lord Jesus, in His presence?
20 For you are our glory and joy.

Chapter 3
1 Wherefore, when we could by no means longer refrain, it seems well for us to be left in Athens alone,
2 and we send Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the evangel of Christ, to establish and to console you for the sake of your faith.
3 No one is to be swayed by these afflictions, for you yourselves are aware that we are located for this.
4 For even when we were with you, we predicted to you that "we are about to be afflicted," according as it came to be also, and you are aware.
5 Therefore, when I also could by no means longer refrain, I send to know of your faith, lest somehow the trier tries you and our toil may be coming to be for naught.
6 Yet at present, because of Timothy's coming to us from you, and bringing us the evangel of your faith and your love, and that you have a good remembrance of us always, longing to see us even as we also you --
7 therefore we were consoled, brethren, over you in all our necessity and affliction, through your faith,
8 for now we are living if ever you are standing firm in the Lord.
9 For what thanksgiving are we able to repay to God concerning you for all the joy with which we are rejoicing because of you in front of our God,
10 night and day superexcessively beseeching to see your face and to adjust the deficiencies of your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus, be directing our way to you!
12 Now may the Lord cause you to increase and superabound in love for one another and for all, even as we also for you,
13 to establish your hearts unblamable in holiness in front of our God and Father, in the presence of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

Chapter 4
1 For the rest, then, brethren, we are asking you and entreating in the Lord Jesus, that, according as you accepted from us how you must be walking and pleasing God (according as you are walking also), that you may be superabounding yet more,
2 for you are aware what charges we give to you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God: your holiness. You are to be abstaining from all prostitution;
4 each of you is to be aware of his own vessel, to be acquiring it in holiness and honor,
5 not in lustful passion even as the nations also who are not acquainted with God.
6 No one is to be circumventing and overreaching his brother in the matter, because the Lord is the Avenger of all these, according as we said to you before also, and certify,
7 for God calls us, not for uncleanness, but in holiness.
8 Surely, in consequence, then, he who is repudiating is not repudiating man, but God, Who is also giving His holy spirit to you.
9 Now, concerning brotherly fondness, we have no need to be writing to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to be loving one another,
10 for you are doing it also to all the brethren who are in the whole of Macedonia. Now we are entreating you, brethren, to be superabounding yet more,
11 and that you be ambitious to be quiet, and to be engaged in your own affairs, and to be working with your hands, according as we charge you,
12 that you may be walking respectably toward those outside and you may have need of nothing.
13 Now we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are reposing, lest you may sorrow according as the rest, also, who have no expectation.
14 For, if we are believing that Jesus died and rose, thus also, those who are put to repose, will God, through Jesus, lead forth together with Him.
15 For this we are saying to you by the word of the Lord, that we, the living, who are surviving to the presence of the Lord, should by no means outstrip those who are put to repose,
16 for the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall be rising first.
17 Thereupon we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And thus shall we always be together with the Lord.
18 So that, console one another with these words.

Chapter 5
1 Now concerning the times and the eras, brethren, you have no need to be written to,
2 for you yourselves are accurately aware that the day of the Lord is as a thief in the night -- thus is it coming!
3 Now whenever they may be saying "Peace and security," then extermination is standing by them unawares, even as a pang over the pregnant, and they may by no means escape.
4 Now you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day may be overtaking you as a thief,
5 for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness.
6 Consequently, then, we may not be drowsing, even as the rest, but we may be watching and be sober.
7 For those who are drowsing are drowsing at night, and those who are drunk are drunk at night.
8 Yet we, being of the day, may be sober, putting on the cuirass of faith and love, and the helmet, the expectation of salvation,
9 for God did not appoint us to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for our sakes, that, whether we may be watching or drowsing, we should be living at the same time together with Him.
11 Wherefore, console one another and edify one the other, according as you are doing also.
12 Now we are asking you, brethren, to perceive those who are toiling among you and presiding over you in the Lord and admonishing you,
13 and to deem them exceedingly distinguished in love, because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
14 Now we are entreating you, brethren; admonish the disorderly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the infirm, be patient toward all.
15 See that no one may be rendering evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue that which is good for one another as well as for all.
16 Be rejoicing always.
17 Be praying unintermittingly.
18 In everything be giving thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Quench not the spirit.
20 Scorn not prophecies.
21 Yet be testing all, retaining the ideal.
22 From everything wicked to the perception, abstain.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself be hallowing you wholly; and may your unimpaired spirit and soul and body be kept blameless in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ!
24 Faithful is He Who is calling you, Who will be doing it also.
25 Brethren, pray concerning us also.
26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
27 I am adjuring you by the Lord, that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you! Amen!

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