Paul’s Ministry to the Thessalonians

2 For you yourselves know, brothers,¹ that our ^fcoming to you ^gwas not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated ^hat Philippi, as you know, ⁱwe had boldness in our God ^jto declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much ^kconflict. 3 For ^lour appeal does not spring from ^merror or ⁿimpurity or ^oany attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God ^pto be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not ^qto please man, but to please God ^rwho tests our hearts. 5 ^sFor we never came with words of flattery,² as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—^tGod is witness. 6 ^uNor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, ^vthough we could have made ^wdemands as ^xapostles of Christ. 7 But we were ^ygentle³ among you, ^zlike a nursing 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 ^abut also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, ^bour labor and toil: we ^cworked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and ^dGod also, ^ehow holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, ^flike a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and ^gcharged ^hyou to walk in a manner worthy of God, ⁱwho calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And ^jwe also thank God constantly⁴ for this, that when you received ^kthe word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it ^lnot as the word of men⁵ but as what it really is, the word of God, ^mwhich is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, ⁿbecame imitators of ^othe churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For ^pyou suffered the same things from your own countrymen ^qas they did from the Jews,⁶ 15 ^rwho killed both the Lord Jesus and ^sthe prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and ^toppose all mankind 16 ^uby hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always ^vto fill up the measure of their sins. But ^wwrath 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, ^xin person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire ^yto see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan ^zhindered us. 19 For what is our hope or ^ajoy or crown of boasting ^bbefore our Lord Jesus at his ^ccoming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing ^dto be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we ^esent Timothy, ^four brother and God’s coworker¹ in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that ^gwe are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, ^hjust as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, ⁱwhen I could bear it no longer, ⁱI sent to learn about your faith, ^jfor fear that somehow ^kthe tempter had tempted you and ^lour labor would be in vain.

Timothy’s Encouraging Report

6 But ^mnow that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of ⁿyour faith and love and reported ^othat you always remember us kindly and ^plong to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers,² in all our distress and affliction ^qwe have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you ^rare standing fast in the Lord. 9 For ^swhat 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 ^tnight and day ^uthat we may see you face to face and ^vsupply what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may ^wour God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, ^xdirect our way to you, 12 and may the Lord ^ymake you increase and abound in love ^zfor one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may ^aestablish your hearts blameless in holiness before ^wour God and Father, at ^bthe coming of our Lord Jesus ^cwith all his saints.

A Life Pleasing to God

4 Finally, then, brothers,¹ we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you ^dreceived from us ^ehow you ought to walk and ^fto please God, just as you are doing, that you ^gdo so more and more. 2 For ^hyou know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, ⁱyour sanctification:^{2 j}that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own ^kbody³ in holiness and ^lhonor, 5 not in ^mthe passion of lust ⁿlike the Gentiles ^owho do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and ^pwrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is ^qan avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For ^rGod has not called us for ^simpurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore ^twhoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, ^uwho gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now concerning ^vbrotherly love ^wyou have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been ^xtaught by God ^yto love one another, 10 for that indeed is what ^zyou are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to ^ado this more and more, 11 and to aspire ^bto live quietly, and ^cto mind your own affairs, and ^dto work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may ^ewalk properly before ^foutsiders and be dependent on no one.

The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^gthat you may not grieve as others do ^hwho have no hope. 14 For ⁱsince we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^jthose who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you ^kby a word from the Lord,⁴ that ^lwe who are alive, who are left until ^mthe coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For ⁿthe Lord himself will descend ^ofrom heaven ^pwith a cry of command, with the voice of ^qan archangel, and ^rwith the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^sthe dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^tcaught up together with them ^uin the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^vwe will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning ^wthe times and the seasons, brothers,^{1 x}you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that ^ythe day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then ^zsudden destruction will come upon them ^aas labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you ^bare not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all ^cchildren² of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then ^dlet us not sleep, as others do, but let us ^ekeep awake and ^fbe sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, ^gare drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, ^hhaving put on the breastplate of ⁱfaith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for ^jwrath, but ^kto obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 ^lwho died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Final Instructions and Benediction

12 We ask you, brothers, ^mto respect those who labor among you and ⁿare over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^oBe at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish ^pthe idle,^{3 q}encourage the fainthearted, ^rhelp the weak, ^sbe patient with them all. 15 See that ^tno one repays anyone evil for evil, but always ^useek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 ^vRejoice always, 17 ^wpray without ceasing, 18 ^xgive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 ^yDo not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise ^zprophecies, 21 but ^atest everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

23 Now may ^bthe God of peace himself ^csanctify you completely, and may your ^dwhole ^espirit and soul and body be kept blameless at ^fthe coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 ^gHe who calls you is faithful; ^hhe will surely do it.

25 ⁱBrothers, pray for us.

26 ^jGreet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

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

28 ^lThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

2 Thessalonians

Greeting

1 ^aPaul, 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 ^bWe ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,¹ as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore ^cwe ourselves boast about you ^din the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith ^ein all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

5 This is ^fevidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be ^gconsidered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it ^hjust ⁱto repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant ^jrelief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when ^kthe Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven ^lwith his mighty angels 8 ^min flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those ⁿwho do not know God and on those who ^odo not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of ^peternal destruction, ^qaway from² the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 ^rwhen he comes on ^sthat day ^tto be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our ^utestimony to you ^vwas believed. 11 To this end we ^walways pray for you, that our God may ^xmake you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every ^ywork of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus ^zmay be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.