1   Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 2   We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. 3   Incessantly remembering your work of faith, and labor of love, and ^note patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father: 4   knowing, ^note beloved brethren, your election by God. 5   For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the holy Ghost, and in much ^note certainty; as ye know what sort of persons we were among you for your sakes. 6   And ye became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word tho' in much affliction, yet with joy of the holy Ghost. 7   So that ye became examples to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8   For the word of the Lord sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia; but also in every place your faith towards God is spread abroad, so that we have no need to say any thing of it. 9   For they themselves declare concerning us what kind of entrance we had among you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; 10   and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivereth us from the wrath to come.

1   For ye yourselves, brethren, know our entrance among you, that it was not in vain. 2   But though we had suffered before and been injuriously treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we spake boldly in the name of our God to ^note declare unto you the gospel of God with much ^note conflict. 3   For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of impurity, nor in guile: 4   but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who ^note trieth our hearts. 5   For neither at any time ^note used we flattering speech, as ye know, nor covetous pretence, God is witness: 6   nor sought we glory of men, neither of you, nor of others: though we might have ^note expected maintenance, as the apostles of Christ. 7   But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8   so we, being affectionately desirous of you, were willing to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but even our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9   For ye remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for working night and day, that we might not be burthensome to any of you, we preached among you the gospel of God. 10   Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblameably we behaved towards you that believe: 11   as ye know likewise, how we exhorted and ^note comforted every one of you, as a father his children; 12   and charged you, that ye should walk worthy of God, who hath called you to his kingdom and glory.

13   For this also we thank God ^note continually, that when ye received the word of God, ^note which ye heard from us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, ^note which also worketh effectually in you that believe. 14   For ye, brethren, became ^note followers of the churches of God, which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus, in that ye also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, ^note as they have from the Jews: 15   who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; ^note who are displeasing to God, and ^note contrary to all men: 16   forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be

saved, thus going on to fill up their sins perpetually: but wrath is coming upon them to extremity.

17   But we, brethren, being separated from you for a season ^note, in person not in heart, endeavoured the more earnestly to see ^note you again ^note with much desire. 18   Wherefore we would have come unto you (even I Paul) once and again; ^note but Satan hindered us. 19   For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of ^note boasting? are not ye also among others in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 20   for ye are our glory and our joy.

1   Wherefore being able to contain no longer, we ^note were content to be left alone at Athens, 2   and sent Timothy our brother, and a minister of God, and our fellow-labourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish ^note and ^note exhort you concerning your faith; 3   that no one might be shaken by these afflictions: for ye yourselves know that we are appointed hereunto. 4   For ^note when we were with you, we told you before that we should be afflicted, as it ^note came to pass, and ye know. 5   For this cause being able to wait no longer, I ^note sent to know the state of your faith, least the tempter should ^note have tempted you, and our labor have been in vain. 6   But now Timothy being come back to us from you, and having brought us good tidings concerning your faith and love, and that ye have always a good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we indeed do to see you; 7    ^note by this we were comforted in you, my brethren, under all our affliction and distress, because of your faith: 8   for now we ^note are revived, since you are stedfast in the Lord. 9   For what thanks can we render to God concerning you, for all the joy wherewith we rejoice on your account before our God, 10   night and day ^note most ardently praying, that we may see your face, and perfect ^note whatever is wanting in your faith? 11   And may God himself even our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ ^note direct our way to you: 12   and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love to one another, and to all men, ^note as we do towards you: 13   that your hearts may be established unblameable

in holiness, before God even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his saints.

1   As to what remains therefore, my brethren, we intreat and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received instructions from us, how ye ought to walk and to please God, ye would abound therein more and more. 2   For ye know what commandments we gave you from the Lord Jesus. 3   For this is the will of God, even your sanctification: that ye should abstain from fornication, 4   and that every one of you should ^note possess his ^note vessel in sanctification and honor, 5   not in the passion of lust, ^note like the heathens who know not God. 6   That no one over-reach, or wrong his brother ^note in any thing: because the Lord is an avenger of all such crimes, as we also told you before, and testified to you. 7   For God hath not called us to impurity, but to holiness. 8   He therefore who rejecteth us, rejecteth not man, but God; who hath ^note given us his holy Spirit.

9   But as to brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 10   And indeed ye do it to all the brethren, that are in all Macedonia; but we exhort you, brethren, to abound in it more and more: 11   and ^note endeavour to be quiet, and ^note mind your own affairs, and work with your own hands, 12   as we gave you in charge, that ye may walk decently toward those that are without, and may have need of no one's assistance.

13   But I would not have you ignorant, my brethren, concerning those that are fallen asleep, that ye may not be grieved like others who have no hope: 14   for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also those, ^note that sleep in Jesus, will God bring with Him. 15   For this we tell you in the word of the Lord, that we who shall be living and remain to the coming of the Lord, shall not be before those that are asleep. 16   For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with acclamation, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 17   then we who are living and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to ^note meet the Lord in the air: and

so shall we for ever be with the Lord. 18   Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1   But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need of my writing to you: 2   for ye yourselves know full well, that the day of the Lord cometh ^note like a thief in the night. 3   And when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4   But ye, my brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should seize you as a thief: 5   ye are all children of the light, and ^note of the day: ^note we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6   Therefore let us not sleep like others, but let us watch and be sober: 7   for they, that sleep, sleep in the night; and drunkards are drunk in the night: 8   but let us, who are of the day, be sober; putting on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. 9   For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10   who died for us, that whether we be awake, or asleep, we may live together with Him. 11   Wherefore comfort one another, and edify each other, as ^note indeed ye do.

12   And we entreat you, brethren, to ^note respect those that labour among you, and preside over you in the Lord, and ^note instruct you; 13   and to esteem them ^note very highly in love, on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14   And ^note admonish the disorderly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be of a patient spirit towards all. 15   See that no one render evil for evil to any man; but always pursue that which is good, both to each other and to all men.

16    17   Be always ^note joyful. Pray ^note continually. In every circumstance be thankful; 18   for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19   Quench not the Spirit. Slight not prophesyings: 20    21   yet try all things, and hold fast that which is good. 22   Abstain from all ^note appearance of evil. 23   And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you

wholly: and grant that your whole frame, spirit, ^note soul, and body may be kept blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24   Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.

25    26   Brethren, pray for us. Salute all the brethren with an holy kiss. 27   I adjure 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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