1:1Paul, and Silvanus, andTimotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God theFather and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, andpeace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1:2We give thanks to God always foryou all, making mention of you in our prayers; 1:3Remembering without ceasing yourwork of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord JesusChrist, in the sight of God and our Father; 1:4Knowing, brethren beloved, yourelection of God. 1:5For ourgospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the HolyGhost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were amongyou for your sake. 1:6And yebecame followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in muchaffliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 1:7So that ye were ensamples to allthat believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 1:8For from you sounded out the wordof the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place yourfaith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything. 1:9For they themselvesshew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turnedto God from idols to serve the living and true God; 1:10And to wait for his Son fromheaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which deliveredus from the wrath to come.
2:1For yourselves,brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2:2But even after that we hadsuffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi,we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with muchcontention. 2:3For ourexhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 2:4But as we were allowed ofGod to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasingmen, but God, which trieth our hearts. 2:5For neither at any time used weflattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God iswitness: 2:6Nor of men soughtwe glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might havebeen burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 2:7But we were gentle among you, evenas a nurse cherisheth her children: 2:8So being affectionately desirousof you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of Godonly, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 2:9For ye remember, brethren, ourlabour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not bechargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 2:10Ye are witnesses,and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behavedourselves among you that believe: 2:11As ye know how we exhorted andcomforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth hischildren, 2:12That ye wouldwalk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
2:13For this cause alsothank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of Godwhich ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men,but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also inyou that believe. 2:14For ye,brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are inChrist Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your owncountrymen, even as they have of the Jews: 2:15Who both killed the Lord Jesus,and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God,and are contrary to all men: 2:16Forbidding us to speak to theGentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for thewrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
2:17But we, brethren,being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart,endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. 2:18Wherefore we would havecome unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. 2:19For what is our hope, orjoy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of ourLord Jesus Christ at his coming? 2:20For ye are our glory and joy.
3:1Wherefore when we couldno longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; 3:2And sent Timotheus, our brother,and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, toestablish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: 3:3That no man should be moved bythese afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 3:4For verily, when we werewith you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as itcame to pass, and ye know. 3:5For this cause, when I could nolonger forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempterhave tempted you, and our labour be in vain. 3:6But now when Timotheus came fromyou unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, andthat ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, aswe also to see you: 3:7Therefore, brethren, we werecomforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: 3:8For now we live, if yestand fast in the Lord. 3:9For what thanks can we render toGod again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes beforeour God; 3:10Night and daypraying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect thatwhich is lacking in your faith? 3:11Now God himself and our Father,and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. 3:12And the Lord make you to increaseand abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even aswe do toward you: 3:13To the end he may stablish yourhearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the comingof our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
4:1Furthermore then webeseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as yehave received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so yewould abound more and more. 4:2For ye know what commandments wegave you by the Lord Jesus. 4:3For this is the will of God,even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4:4That every one of youshould know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 4:5Not in the lust ofconcupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 4:6That no man go beyond anddefraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord isthe avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 4:7For God hath not called usunto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 4:8He therefore that despiseth,despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 4:9But as touching brotherlylove ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught ofGod to love one another. 4:10And indeed ye do it toward allthe brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren,that ye increase more and more; 4:11And that ye study to be quiet,and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as wecommanded you; 4:12That yemay walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye mayhave lack of nothing.
4:13But I would not haveyou to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that yesorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 4:14For if we believe that Jesus diedand rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring withhim. 4:15For this we say untoyou by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remainunto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 4:16For the Lord himselfshall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 4:17Then we which are aliveand remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, tomeet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 4:18Wherefore comfort one anotherwith these words.
5:1But of the times andthe seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 5:2For yourselves know perfectly thatthe day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 5:3For when they shall say, Peace andsafety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a womanwith child; and they shall not escape. 5:4But ye, brethren, are not indarkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5:5Ye are all the children of light,and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 5:6Therefore let us notsleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 5:7For they that sleep sleep in thenight; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 5:8But let us, who are of the day, besober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet,the hope of salvation. 5:9ForGod hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our LordJesus Christ, 5:10Who diedfor us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 5:11Wherefore comfortyourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
5:12And we beseech you,brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in theLord, and admonish you; 5:13And to esteem them very highly inlove for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 5:14Now we exhort you,brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support theweak, be patient toward all men. 5:15See that none render evil forevil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both amongyourselves, and to all men. 5:16Rejoice evermore. 5:17Pray without ceasing. 5:18In every thing give thanks: forthis is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 5:19Quench not the Spirit. 5:20Despise not prophesyings. 5:21Prove all things; hold fast thatwhich is good. 5:22Abstainfrom all appearance of evil. 5:23And the very God of peacesanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul andbody be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24Faithful is hethat calleth you, who also will do it.
5:26Greet all the brethrenwith an holy kiss. 5:27Icharge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holybrethren.