< 2 Thessalonians 1 >
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ;
This letter comes from Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
May you have grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth;
We keep on thanking God for you, brothers and sisters—we just have to! This is the right thing to do because your trust in God is growing in leaps and bounds, and the love you all have for each other increases more and more.
4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure;
We speak so proudly of you among the churches of God because of your patient courage and trust in God during all the persecution and trouble you're going through.
5 [which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
For this is evidence that God is right in the decisions he makes, and that you deserve the kingdom of God for which you are suffering.
6 if so be that it is a righteous thing with God to recompense affliction to them that afflict you,
Since God does what's right he will deal appropriately with those who cause you trouble.
7 and to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire,
He will free you from your suffering—and us too—when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels,
8 rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus:
bringing judgment on those who reject God and refuse to accept the good news of our Lord Jesus.
9 who shall suffer punishment, [even] eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, (aiōnios )
They will rightly experience the consequence of eternal loss, separated from the presence of the Lord and his glorious power, (aiōnios )
10 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day.
on the day when he comes to receive glory from his people, admired by all those who trust in him. This includes you because you were convinced about what we told you.
11 To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and [every] work of faith, with power;
That's why we continue to pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of what he's called us to do. May God powerfully fulfill every desire you have to do good and every action that comes from trusting him
12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be honored by what you do—and in turn you are honored by him through the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.