Paul’s Ministry to the Thessalonians

2 For you yourselves know, brothers,¹ that our ^wcoming to you was not ^xin vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated ^yat Philippi, as you know, we had ^zboldness in our God ^ato declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved ^bby God to be ^centrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ^dnot to please man, but to please God who ^etests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery,² as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—^fGod is witness. 6 Nor did we ^gseek glory from people, whether from you or from others, ^hthough we could have made demands as ⁱapostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle³ among you, ^jlike a ^knursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God ^lbut also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our ^mlabor and toil: we worked night and day, ⁿthat we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 ^oYou are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and ^pcharged you to ^qwalk in a manner worthy of God, who ^rcalls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God ^sconstantly⁴ for this, that when you received the word of God, which you ^theard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men⁵ but as what it really is, the word of God, which is ^uat work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, ^vbecame imitators of ^wthe churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For ^xyou suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,⁶ 15 ^ywho killed both the Lord Jesus and the ^zprophets, and ^adrove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to ^bfill up the measure of their sins. But ^cwrath has come upon them at last!⁷

Paul’s Longing to See Them Again

17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to ^dsee you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our ^ehope or ^fjoy or crown of ^gboasting before our Lord Jesus at his ^hcoming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, ⁱwe were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and ^jwe sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker¹ in the gospel of Christ, to ^kestablish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that ^lwe are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, ^mjust as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the ⁿtempter had tempted you and our labor would be ^oin vain.

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

6 But ^pnow that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and ^qlove and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers,² in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are ^rstanding fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly ^snight and day that we may ^tsee you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, ^udirect our way to you, 12 and may the Lord ^vmake you increase and abound in love ^wfor one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that ^xhe may ^yestablish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the ^zcoming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally, then, brothers,^{1 a}we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that ^bas you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what ^cinstructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For ^dthis is the will of God, your ^esanctification:² that you abstain from ^fsexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body³ in ^gholiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of ^hlust ⁱlike the Gentiles who ^jdo not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an ^kavenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who ^lgives his Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now concerning brotherly love ^myou have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been ⁿtaught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live ^oquietly, and to ^pmind your own affairs, and to ^qwork with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and ^rbe dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are ^sasleep, that you may not grieve as others do who ^thave no ^uhope. 14 For ^vsince we believe ^wthat Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,⁴ that ^xwe who are alive, who are left until the ^ycoming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For ^zthe Lord himself will descend ^afrom heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the ^btrumpet of God. And ^cthe dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them ^din the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 ^eTherefore encourage one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning the ^ftimes and the seasons, brothers,^{1 g}you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come ^hlike a thief in the night. 3 While people are ⁱsaying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all ^jchildren² of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^kkeep awake and ^lbe sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having ^mput on the ⁿbreastplate of ^ofaith and love, and for a ^phelmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for ^qwrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 ^rTherefore encourage one another and ^sbuild one another up, just as you are doing.

Final Instructions and Benediction

12 We ask you, brothers, to ^trespect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^uBe at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the ^vidle,³ encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be ^wpatient with them all. 15 ^xSee that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always ^yseek to do good ^zto one another and to everyone. 16 ^aRejoice always, 17 pray ^bwithout ceasing, 18 ^cgive thanks in all circumstances; for ^dthis is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 ^eDo not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise ^fprophecies, 21 but ^gtest everything; ^hhold fast what is good. 22 ⁱAbstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may the God of peace himself ^jsanctify you completely, and may your ^kwhole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the ^lcoming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; ^mhe will surely do it.

25 Brothers, ⁿpray for us.

26 ^oGreet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I put you under oath before the Lord ^pto have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

2 Thessalonians

Greeting

1 Paul, 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 our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

3 ^aWe ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,¹ as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the ^blove of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves ^cboast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in ^dall your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

5 This is ^eevidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be ^fconsidered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to ^grepay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, ^hwhen the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven ⁱwith his mighty angels 8 ^jin flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who ^kdo not know God and on ^lthose who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from² the presence of the Lord and ^mfrom the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, ⁿbecause our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of ^ohis calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every ^pwork of faith by his power, 12 so that the ^qname of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.