Chapter 1
1 Thanksgiving for These Believers
Paul 3972 and Silvanus 4610 and Timothy 5095,
2 ¶ ¶ We give 2168 thanks 2168 to God 2316 always 3842 for all 3956 of you, making 4160 mention 3417 {of you} in our prayers 4335;
3 constantly 89 bearing 3421 in mind 3421 your work 2041 of faith 4102 and labor 2873 of love 26 and steadfastness 5281 of hope 1680 in our Lord 2962 Jesus 2424 Christ 5547 in the presence 1715 of our God 2316 and Father 3962,
4 knowing 3609, brethren 80 beloved 25 by God 2316, {His} choice 1589 of you;
5 for our gospel 2098 did not come 1096 to you in word 3056 only 3440, but also 2532 in power 1411 and in the Holy 40 Spirit 4151 and with full 4183 conviction 4136; just 2531 as you know 3609 what 3634 kind 3634 of men 3634 we proved 1096 to be among 1722 you for your sake 1223.
6 You also 2532 became 1096 imitators 3402 of us and of the Lord 2962, having received 1209 the word 3056 in much 4183 tribulation 2347 with the joy 5479 of the Holy 40 Spirit 4151,
7 so 5620 that you became 1096 an example 5179 to all 3956 the believers 4100 in Macedonia 3109 and in Achaia 882.
8 For the word 3056 of the Lord 2962 has sounded 1837 forth 1837 from you, not only 3440 in Macedonia 3109 and Achaia 882, but also in every 3956 place 5117 your faith 4102 toward 4314 God 2316 has gone 1831 forth 1831, so 5620 that we have 2192 no 3361 need 5532 to say 2980 anything 5100.
9 For they themselves 846 report 518 about 4012 us what 3697 kind 3697 of a reception 1529 we had 2192 with you, and how 4459 you turned 1994 to God 2316 from idols 1497 to serve 1398 a living 2198 and true 228 God 2316,
10 and to wait 362 for His Son 5207 from heaven 3772, whom 3739 He raised 1453 from the dead 3498, {that is} Jesus 2424, who rescues 4506 us from the wrath 3709 to come 2064.
Chapter 2
1 Paul's Ministry
For you yourselves 846 know 3609, brethren 80, that our coming 1529 to you was not in vain 2756,
2 but after we had already 4310 suffered 4310 and been mistreated 5195 in Philippi 5375, as you know 3609, we had 3955 the boldness 3955 in our God 2316 to speak 2980 to you the gospel 2098 of God 2316 amid 1722 much 4183 opposition 73.
3 For our exhortation 3874 does not {come} from error 4106 or 3761 impurity 167 or 3761 by way 1722 of deceit 1388;
4 but just 2531 as we have been approved 1381 by God 2316 to be entrusted 4100 with the gospel 2098, so 3779 we speak 2980, not as pleasing 700 men 444, but God 2316 who examines 1381 our hearts 2588.
5 For we never came 1096 with flattering 2850 speech 3056, as you know 3609, nor 3777 with a pretext 4392 for greed 4124--God 2316 is witness 3144--
6 nor 3777 did we seek 2212 glory 1391 from men 444, either 3777 from you or 3777 from others 243, even though as apostles 652 of Christ 5547 we might have asserted our authority 922.
7 But we proved 1096 to be gentle 2261 among you, as a nursing 5162 {mother} tenderly 2282 cares 2282 for her own 1438 children 5043.
8 Having 3655 so 3779 fond 3655 an affection 3655 for you, we were well-pleased 2106 to impart 3330 to you not only 3440 the gospel 2098 of God 2316 but also 2532 our own 1438 lives 5590, because 1360 you had become 1096 very 27 dear 27 to us.
9 ¶ For you recall 3421, brethren 80, our labor 2873 and hardship 3449, {how} working 2038 night 3571 and day 2250 so 4314 as not to be a burden 1912 to any 5100 of you, we proclaimed 2784 to you the gospel 2098 of God 2316.
10 You are witnesses 3144, and {so is} God 2316, how 5613 devoutly 3743 and uprightly 1346 and blamelessly 274 we behaved 1096 toward you believers 4100;
11 just 2509 as you know 3609 how 5613 we {were} exhorting 3870 and encouraging 3888 and imploring 3143 each 1538 one 1520 of you as a father 3962 {would} his own 1438 children 5043,
12 so 1519 that you would walk 4043 in a manner 516 worthy 516 of the God 2316 who calls 2564 you into His own 1438 kingdom 932 and glory 1391.
13 ¶ For this 3778 reason 1223 we also 2532 constantly 89 thank 2168 God 2316 that when you received 3880 the word 3056 of God 2316 which 3739 you heard 191 from us, you accepted 1209 {it} not {as} the word 3056 of men 444, but {for} what 2531 it really 230 is, the word 3056 of God 2316, which 3739 also 2532 performs 1754 its work 1754 in you who believe 4100.
14 For you, brethren 80, became 1096 imitators 3402 of the churches 1577 of God 2316 in Christ 5547 Jesus 2424 that are in Judea 2453, for you also 2532 endured 3958 the same 846 sufferings 3958 at the hands 5259 of your own 2398 countrymen 4853, even 2531 as they {did} from the Jews 2453,
15 who both 2532 killed 615 the Lord 2962 Jesus 2424 and the prophets 4396, and drove 1559 us out. They are not pleasing 700 to God 2316, but hostile 1727 to all 3956 men 444,
16 hindering 2967 us from speaking 2980 to the Gentiles 1484 so 2443 that they may be saved 4982; with the result that they always 3842 fill 378 up the measure 378 of their sins 266. But wrath 3709 has come 5348 upon them to the utmost 5056.
17 ¶ But we, brethren 80, having been taken 642 away 642 from you for a short while 5610--in person 4383, not in spirit 2588--were all 4053 the more 4053 eager 4704 with great 4183 desire 1939 to see 3708 your face 4383.
18 For we wanted 2309 to come 2064 to you--I, Paul 3972, more than 2532 once 530--and {yet} Satan 4567 hindered 1465 us.
19 For who 5101 is our hope 1680 or 2228 joy 5479 or 2228 crown 4735 of exultation 2746? Is it not even 2532 you, in the presence 1715 of our Lord 2962 Jesus 2424 at His coming 3952?
20 For you are our glory 1391 and joy 5479.
Chapter 3
1 Encouragement of Timothy's Visit
Therefore 1352 when we could endure 4722 {it} no 3371 longer 3371, we thought 2106 it best 2106 to be left 2641 behind 2641 at Athens 116 alone 3441,
2 and we sent 3992 Timothy 5095, our brother 80 and God's 2316 fellow 4904 worker 4904 in the gospel 2098 of Christ 5547, to strengthen 4741 and encourage 3870 you as to your faith 4102,
3 so that no 3367 one 3367 would be disturbed 4525 by these 3778 afflictions 2347; for you yourselves 846 know 3609 that we have been destined 2749 for this 3778.
4 For indeed 2532 when 3753 we were with you, we {kept} telling 4302 you in advance 4302 that we were going 3195 to suffer 2346 affliction 2346; and so 2531 it came 1096 to pass 1096, as you know 3609.
5 For this 3778 reason 1223, when I could endure 4722 {it} no 3371 longer 3371, I also 2532 sent 3992 to find 1097 out about your faith 4102, for fear 3381 that the tempter 3985 might have tempted 3985 you, and our labor 2873 would be in vain 2756.
6 ¶ But now 737 that Timothy 5095 has come 2064 to us from you, and has brought 2097 us good 2097 news 2097 of your faith 4102 and love 26, and that you always 3842 think kindly 18 of us, longing 1971 to see 3708 us just 2509 as we also 2532 long to see you,
7 for this 3778 reason 1223, brethren 80, in all 3956 our distress 318 and affliction 2347 we were comforted 3870 about 1909 you through 1223 your faith 4102;
8 for now 3568 we {really} live 2198, if 1437 you stand 4739 firm 4739 in the Lord 2962.
9 For what 5101 thanks 2169 can 1410 we render 467 to God 2316 for you in return 467 for all 3956 the joy 5479 with which 3739 we rejoice 5463 before 1715 our God 2316 on your account 1223,
10 as we night 3571 and day 2250 keep praying 1189 most 5238 earnestly 5238 that we may see 3708 your face 4383, and may complete 2675 what 5303 is lacking 5303 in your faith 4102?
11 ¶ Now 1161 may our God 2316 and Father 3962 Himself 846 and Jesus 2424 our Lord 2962 direct 2720 our way 3598 to you;
12 and may the Lord 2962 cause you to increase 4121 and abound 4052 in love 26 for one 240 another 240, and for all 3956 people 3956, just 2509 as we also 2532 {do} for you;
13 so 1519 that He may establish 4741 your hearts 2588 without 273 blame 273 in holiness 42 before 1715 our God 2316 and Father 3962 at the coming 3952 of our Lord 2962 Jesus 2424 with all 3956 His saints 40.
Chapter 4
1 Sanctification and Love
Finally 3062 then 3767, brethren 80, we request 2065 and exhort 3870 you in the Lord 2962 Jesus 2424, that as you received 3880 from us {instruction} as to how 4459 you ought 1163 to walk 4043 and please 700 God 2316 (just 2531 as you actually 2532 do walk 4043), that you excel 4052 still 3123 more 3123.
2 For you know 3609 what 5101 commandments 3852 we gave 1325 you by {the authority of} the Lord 2962 Jesus 2424.
3 For this 3778 is the will 2307 of God 2316, your sanctification 38; {that is,} that you abstain 568 from sexual 4202 immorality 4202;
4 that each 1538 of you know 3609 how 3609 to possess 2932 his own 1438 vessel 4632 in sanctification 38 and honor 5092,
5 not in lustful 1939 passion 3806, like 2509 the Gentiles 1484 who do not know 3609 God 2316;
6 {and} that no 3361 man transgress 5233 and defraud 4122 his brother 80 in the matter 4229 because 1360 the Lord 2962 is {the} avenger 1558 in all 3956 these 3778 things 3778, just 2531 as we also 2532 told 4275 you before 4275 and solemnly 1263 warned 1263 {you.}
7 For God 2316 has not called 2564 us for the purpose of impurity 167, but in sanctification 38.
8 So 5105, he who rejects 114 {this} is not rejecting 114 man 444 but the God 2316 who gives 1325 His Holy 40 Spirit 4151 to you.
9 ¶ Now 1161 as to the love 5360 of the brethren 5360, you have 2192 no 3756 need 5532 for {anyone} to write 1125 to you, for you yourselves 846 are taught 2312 by God 2312 to love 25 one 240 another 240;
10 for indeed 2532 you do practice 4160 it toward 1519 all 3956 the brethren 80 who 3588 are in all 3650 Macedonia 3109. But we urge 3870 you, brethren 80, to excel 4052 still 3123 more 3123,
11 and to make 5389 it your ambition 5389 to lead 2270 a quiet 2270 life 2270 and attend 4238 to your own 2398 business and work 2038 with your hands 5495, just 2531 as we commanded 3853 you,
12 so 2443 that you will behave 4043 properly 2156 toward 4314 outsiders and not be in any 3367 need 5532.
13 Those Who Died in Christ
¶ But we do not want 2309 you to be uninformed 50, brethren 80, about 4012 those 3588 who are asleep 2837, so 2443 that you will not grieve 3076 as do the rest 3062 who have 2192 no 3361 hope 1680.
14 For if 1487 we believe 4100 that Jesus 2424 died 599 and rose 450 again 450, even 2532 so 3779 God 2316 will bring 71 with Him those 3588 who have fallen 2837 asleep 2837 in Jesus 2424.
15 For this 3778 we say 3004 to you by the word 3056 of the Lord 2962, that we who are alive 2198 and remain 4035 until 1519 the coming 3952 of the Lord 2962, will not precede 5348 those 3588 who have fallen 2837 asleep 2837.
16 For the Lord 2962 Himself 846 will descend 2597 from heaven 3772 with a shout 2752, with the voice 5456 of {the} archangel 743 and with the trumpet 4536 of God 2316, and the dead 3498 in Christ 5547 will rise 450 first 4413.
17 Then 1899 we who are alive 2198 and remain 4035 will be caught 726 up together 260 with them in the clouds 3507 to meet 529 the Lord 2962 in the air 109, and so 3779 we shall always 3842 be with the Lord 2962.
18 Therefore 5620 comfort 3870 one 240 another 240 with these 3778 words 3056.
Chapter 5
1 The Day of the Lord
Now 1161 as to the times 5550 and the epochs 2540, brethren 80, you have 2192 no 3756 need 5532 of anything to be written 1125 to you.
2 For you yourselves 846 know 3609 full 199 well 199 that the day 2250 of the Lord 2962 will come 2064 just 5613 like 5613 a thief 2812 in the night 3571.
3 While 3752 they are saying 3004, "Peace 1515 and safety 803!" then 5119 destruction 3639 will come 2186 upon them suddenly 160 like 5618 labor 5604 pains 5604 upon a woman with child, and they will not escape 1628.
4 But you, brethren 80, are not in darkness 4655, that the day 2250 would overtake 2638 you like 5613 a thief 2812;
5 for you are all 3956 sons 5207 of light 5457 and sons 5207 of day 2250. We are not of night 3571 nor 3761 of darkness 4655;