1Thessalonians
CHAPTER1
1Paul,andSilvanus,andTimotheus,untothechurchof theThessalonianswhichisinGodtheFatherandinthe LordJesusChrist:Gracebeuntoyou,andpeace,fromGod ourFather,andtheLordJesusChrist.
2WegivethankstoGodalwaysforyouall,making mentionofyouinourprayers;
3Rememberingwithoutceasingyourworkoffaith,and labouroflove,andpatienceofhopeinourLordJesus Christ,inthesightofGodandourFather;
4Knowing,brethrenbeloved,yourelectionofGod.
5Forourgospelcamenotuntoyouinwordonly,butalso inpower,andintheHolyGhost,andinmuchassurance;as yeknowwhatmannerofmenwewereamongyouforyour sake
6Andyebecamefollowersofus,andoftheLord,having receivedthewordinmuchaffliction,withjoyoftheHoly Ghost:
7Sothatyewereensamplestoallthatbelievein MacedoniaandAchaia.
8ForfromyousoundedoutthewordoftheLordnotonly inMacedoniaandAchaia,butalsoineveryplaceyourfaith toGod-wardisspreadabroad;sothatweneednottospeak anything
9Fortheythemselvesshewofuswhatmannerofentering inwehaduntoyou,andhowyeturnedtoGodfromidols toservethelivingandtrueGod;
10AndtowaitforhisSonfromheaven,whomheraised fromthedead,evenJesus,whichdeliveredusfromthe wrathtocome
CHAPTER2
1Foryourselves,brethren,knowourentranceinuntoyou, thatitwasnotinvain:
2Butevenafterthatwehadsufferedbefore,andwere shamefullyentreated,asyeknow,atPhilippi,wewerebold inourGodtospeakuntoyouthegospelofGodwithmuch contention
3Forourexhortationwasnotofdeceit,norofuncleanness, noringuile:
4ButaswewereallowedofGodtobeputintrustwiththe gospel,evensowespeak;notaspleasingmen,butGod, whichtriethourhearts
5Forneitheratanytimeusedweflatteringwords,asye know,noraclokeofcovetousness;Godiswitness:
6Norofmensoughtweglory,neitherofyou,noryetof others,whenwemighthavebeenburdensome,asthe apostlesofChrist.
7Butweweregentleamongyou,evenasanurse cherishethherchildren:
8Sobeingaffectionatelydesirousofyou,wewerewilling tohaveimparteduntoyou,notthegospelofGodonly,but alsoourownsouls,becauseyeweredearuntous
9Foryeremember,brethren,ourlabourandtravail:for labouringnightandday,becausewewouldnotbe chargeableuntoanyofyou,wepreacheduntoyouthe gospelofGod.
10Yearewitnesses,andGodalso,howholilyandjustly andunblameablywebehavedourselvesamongyouthat believe:
11Asyeknowhowweexhortedandcomfortedand chargedeveryoneofyou,asafatherdothhischildren,
12ThatyewouldwalkworthyofGod,whohathcalled youuntohiskingdomandglory
13ForthiscausealsothankweGodwithoutceasing, because,whenyereceivedthewordofGodwhichyeheard ofus,yereceiveditnotasthewordofmen,butasitisin truth,thewordofGod,whicheffectuallyworkethalsoin youthatbelieve.
14Forye,brethren,becamefollowersofthechurchesof GodwhichinJudaeaareinChristJesus:foryealsohave sufferedlikethingsofyourowncountrymen,evenasthey haveoftheJews:
15WhobothkilledtheLordJesus,andtheirownprophets, andhavepersecutedus;andtheypleasenotGod,andare contrarytoallmen:
16ForbiddingustospeaktotheGentilesthattheymight besaved,tofilluptheirsinsalway:forthewrathiscome uponthemtotheuttermost
17Butwe,brethren,beingtakenfromyouforashorttime inpresence,notinheart,endeavouredthemoreabundantly toseeyourfacewithgreatdesire
18Whereforewewouldhavecomeuntoyou,evenIPaul, onceandagain;butSatanhinderedus.
19Forwhatisourhope,orjoy,orcrownofrejoicing?Are notevenyeinthepresenceofourLordJesusChristathis coming?
20Foryeareourgloryandjoy
CHAPTER3
1Whereforewhenwecouldnolongerforbear,wethought itgoodtobeleftatAthensalone;
2AndsentTimotheus,ourbrother,andministerofGod, andourfellowlabourerinthegospelofChrist,toestablish you,andtocomfortyouconcerningyourfaith:
3Thatnomanshouldbemovedbytheseafflictions:for yourselvesknowthatweareappointedthereunto.
4Forverily,whenwewerewithyou,wetoldyoubefore thatweshouldsuffertribulation;evenasitcametopass, andyeknow.
5Forthiscause,whenIcouldnolongerforbear,Isentto knowyourfaith,lestbysomemeansthetempterhave temptedyou,andourlabourbeinvain.
6ButnowwhenTimotheuscamefromyouuntous,and broughtusgoodtidingsofyourfaithandcharity,andthat yehavegoodremembranceofusalways,desiringgreatly toseeus,aswealsotoseeyou:
7Therefore,brethren,wewerecomfortedoveryouinall ourafflictionanddistressbyyourfaith:
8Fornowwelive,ifyestandfastintheLord
9ForwhatthankscanwerendertoGodagainforyou,for allthejoywherewithwejoyforyoursakesbeforeourGod; 10Nightanddayprayingexceedinglythatwemightsee yourface,andmightperfectthatwhichislackinginyour faith?
11NowGodhimselfandourFather,andourLordJesus Christ,directourwayuntoyou
12AndtheLordmakeyoutoincreaseandaboundinlove onetowardanother,andtowardallmen,evenaswedo towardyou:
13Totheendhemaystablishyourheartsunblameablein holinessbeforeGod,evenourFather,atthecomingofour LordJesusChristwithallhissaints
CHAPTER4
1Furthermorethenwebeseechyou,brethren,andexhort youbytheLordJesus,thatasyehavereceivedofushow yeoughttowalkandtopleaseGod,soyewouldabound moreandmore.
2Foryeknowwhatcommandmentswegaveyoubythe LordJesus
3ForthisisthewillofGod,evenyoursanctification,that yeshouldabstainfromfornication:
4Thateveryoneofyoushouldknowhowtopossesshis vesselinsanctificationandhonour;
5Notinthelustofconcupiscence,evenastheGentiles whichknownotGod:
6Thatnomangobeyondanddefraudhisbrotherinany matter:becausethattheLordistheavengerofallsuch,as wealsohaveforewarnedyouandtestified
7ForGodhathnotcalledusuntouncleanness,butunto holiness
8Hethereforethatdespiseth,despisethnotman,butGod, whohathalsogivenuntoushisholySpirit.
9ButastouchingbrotherlyloveyeneednotthatIwrite untoyou:foryeyourselvesaretaughtofGodtoloveone another.
10Andindeedyedoittowardallthebrethrenwhicharein allMacedonia:butwebeseechyou,brethren,thatye increasemoreandmore;
11Andthatyestudytobequiet,andtodoyourown business,andtoworkwithyourownhands,aswe commandedyou;
12Thatyemaywalkhonestlytowardthemthatarewithout, andthatyemayhavelackofnothing
13ButIwouldnothaveyoutobeignorant,brethren, concerningthemwhichareasleep,thatyesorrownot,even asotherswhichhavenohope
14ForifwebelievethatJesusdiedandroseagain,evenso themalsowhichsleepinJesuswillGodbringwithhim
15ForthiswesayuntoyoubythewordoftheLord,that wewhicharealiveandremainuntothecomingoftheLord shallnotpreventthemwhichareasleep
16FortheLordhimselfshalldescendfromheavenwitha shout,withthevoiceofthearchangel,andwiththetrump ofGod:andthedeadinChristshallrisefirst:
17Thenwewhicharealiveandremainshallbecaughtup togetherwiththemintheclouds,tomeettheLordintheair: andsoshallweeverbewiththeLord
18Whereforecomfortoneanotherwiththesewords
CHAPTER5
1Butofthetimesandtheseasons,brethren,yehaveno needthatIwriteuntoyou
2ForyourselvesknowperfectlythatthedayoftheLordso comethasathiefinthenight
3Forwhentheyshallsay,Peaceandsafety;thensudden destructioncomethuponthem,astravailuponawoman withchild;andtheyshallnotescape
4Butye,brethren,arenotindarkness,thatthatdayshould overtakeyouasathief.
5Yeareallthechildrenoflight,andthechildrenofthe day:wearenotofthenight,norofdarkness
6Thereforeletusnotsleep,asdoothers;butletuswatch andbesober
7Fortheythatsleepsleepinthenight;andtheythatbe drunkenaredrunkeninthenight
8Butletus,whoareoftheday,besober,puttingonthe breastplateoffaithandlove;andforanhelmet,thehopeof salvation
9ForGodhathnotappointedustowrath,buttoobtain salvationbyourLordJesusChrist,
10Whodiedforus,that,whetherwewakeorsleep,we shouldlivetogetherwithhim
11Whereforecomfortyourselvestogether,andedifyone another,evenasalsoyedo
12Andwebeseechyou,brethren,toknowthemwhich labouramongyou,andareoveryouintheLord,and admonishyou;
13Andtoesteemthemveryhighlyinlovefortheirwork's sake.Andbeatpeaceamongyourselves.
14Nowweexhortyou,brethren,warnthemthatareunruly, comfortthefeebleminded,supporttheweak,bepatient towardallmen.
15Seethatnonerenderevilforeviluntoanyman;butever followthatwhichisgood,bothamongyourselves,andto allmen.
16Rejoiceevermore
17Praywithoutceasing
18Ineverythinggivethanks:forthisisthewillofGodin ChristJesusconcerningyou
19QuenchnottheSpirit 20Despisenotprophesyings.
21Proveallthings;holdfastthatwhichisgood 22Abstainfromallappearanceofevil
23AndtheveryGodofpeacesanctifyyouwholly;andI prayGodyourwholespiritandsoulandbodybepreserved blamelessuntothecomingofourLordJesusChrist
24Faithfulishethatcallethyou,whoalsowilldoit.
25Brethren,prayforus
26Greetallthebrethrenwithanholykiss
27IchargeyoubytheLordthatthisepistlebereadunto alltheholybrethren
28ThegraceofourLordJesusChristbewithyou.Amen. (ThefirstepistletotheThessalonianswaswrittenfrom Athens)