Chapter 1
1 Paul, Silas, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians, gathered in God the Father and in Jesus Christ the Lord:
2 To you, grace and peace.
We continually give thanks to God for all of you, remembering you in our prayers,
3. By continually reminding our God and Father of your works of faith, your sacrifices of love, and your endurance of hope in Christ Jesus,
4 knowing, brothers beloved of God, how you were chosen;
5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also with miracles, of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and of full conviction; you also know that we were among you for your salvation.
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in the midst of much tribulation with joy of the Holy Spirit,
7 to the point of becoming a model for all who believe in Macedonia and Achaea.
8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but everywhere your faith in God has become so well known that we do not need to say anything.
9 For everyone who speaks about us tells of the reception we had among you, and how you turned from idols to the living and true God to serve him,
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who saves us from the wrath to come.
Chapter 2
1 You yourselves know, brothers, that our coming among you has not been without fruit.
2 But after we had suffered and been insulted at Philippi, as you know, we came full of confidence in our God, to preach his gospel to you boldly in the midst of many struggles.
3 For our preaching did not proceed from error, nor from malicious intent, nor from any fraud;
4 But as God has approved us to be entrusted with the gospel, so we teach, not to please men, but God, who searches our hearts.
5 Indeed, our speeches were never inspired by flattery, as you know, nor by a motive of greed, God is witness.
6 We have not sought human glory from you or from anyone;
7 Although we, as apostles of Christ, could have claimed some authority, we were instead very humble among you, like a nurse caring for her children,
8 So, in our affection for you, we would have liked to give you not only the gospel of God, but our very lives, because you had become so dear to us.
9 You remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how holy, just, and blameless was our conduct toward you who believe;
11 How, as you know, we have been to each of you as a father is to his children,
12 praying, exhorting, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13 For this reason, we also give thanks to God, because when you received the divine message, which we proclaimed to you, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also powerful in you who believe.
14 For you, brothers, have become imitators of God's churches who meet in Jesus Christ in Judea, since you also suffered at the hands of your fellow Jews as they suffered at the hands of the Jews, —
15 of these Jews, who put the Lord Jesus and the prophets to death, persecuted us, displease God and are enemies of mankind,
16 hindering us from preaching salvation to the nations, so that they continually fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath of God fell on them to remain there until the end.
17 For us, brothers, sadly separated from you for a moment in body, not in heart, we had great haste and a keen desire to see you again.
18 So we wanted to come to you, I, Paul, personally, a first time and a second time; but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope, our joy, our crown of glory? Is it not you who are in the presence of our Lord Jesus at the day of his coming?
20 Yes, you are our glory and joy.
Chapter 3
1. Therefore, unable to bear it any longer, we preferred to remain alone in Athens,
2 And we have sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow servant in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
3 so that no one would be shaken in the midst of these tribulations which, as you yourselves know, are our lot.
4 Even when we were with you, we predicted that we would be in trouble, and that is what happened, as you know.
5 For this reason, I too, unable to bear it any longer, sent to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be in vain.
6 But now Timothy has just arrived here from you and has told us of your faith and love, and of the good memory you always have of us, and of longing to see us again (as we also long to see you),
7 So then, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted in you because of your faith.
8 For now we live, because you stand firm in the Lord.
9 So, what thanksgiving can we offer to God on your behalf, in joy perfect that we experience for your sake before our God!
10 Night and day we pray earnestly to him that we may see you again, and that you may complete what is still lacking in your faith.
11 May God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ make our way straight to you!
12 And may the Lord increase and abound your love for one another and for all people, just as ours is for you.
13 May he strengthen your hearts, making them blameless and holy in the sight of our God and Father, on the day when our Lord Jesus comes with all his saints. Amen
Chapter 4
1 Finally, brothers, we ask and implore you in the Lord Jesus; you learned from us how to live in order to please God, (and so you are doing); therefore, go on from strength to strength.
2 For you know the commandments which we gave you from the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you avoid sexual immorality,
4 and that each of you know how to keep his body holy and honorable,
5 without abandoning it to the frenzies of passion, as the pagans do who do not know God;
6 that no one in this matter should use violence or fraud against his brother, because the Lord will punish all these disorders, as we have already told you and attested to you.
7 For God did not call us to impurity, but to holiness.
8 Therefore, he who despises these precepts, It is not a man whom he despises, but God, who also gave his Holy Spirit to dwell in you.
9 As for the fraternal charity, there is no need to write to you about it; for you yourselves have learned from God to love one another;
10 You should also practice this practice toward all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to practice it always better.
11. Apply yourselves to a life of rest, to minding your own business, and to working with your hands, as we have recommended to you.,
12 so that you may live a good life in the eyes of outsiders, without needing anyone.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, believe Also that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 For this is what we declare to you according to the word of the Lord: We who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the sound of the divine trumpet, the Lord himself will descend from heaven, and those who have died in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
Chapter 5
1 As for the times and the seasons, brothers, there is no need to write to you about them.
2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
3 When men say, »Peace and security!» then sudden destruction will come upon them, like pain upon a woman in labor, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
5 Yes, you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of the darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep like the rest of men, but let us stay awake and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober-minded, putting on faith as a breastplate and charityand for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
12 We also ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who govern you in the Lord, and who give you counsel.
13 Show them greater love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
14 We beg you, brothers, rebuke those who are disturbing the peace, comfort the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
15 Take care that no one repays evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all.
16 Always be joyful.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In all circumstances give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for all of you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies;
21 but test everything, and hold fast to what is good;
22 Abstain from every appearance of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly, and may your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!
24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it again.
25 Brothers, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I adjure you by the Lord, let this letter be read to all the [holy] brothers.
28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
