1 Thessalonians 2
1 You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not in vain.
FOR ye yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in to you, that it was not in vain.
2 As you are aware, we had already endured suffering and shameful treatment in Philippi. But in the face of strong opposition, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God.
But though we had suffered before, and were infamously treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to preach unto you the gospel of God amidst a great conflict.
3 For our appeal does not arise from deceit or ulterior motives or trickery.
And our exhortation originated not from delusion, or impurity, or from guile;
4 Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.
but as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts.
5 As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!
For neither at any time used we insinuating language, as ye know, nor a pretext for covetousness; God is witness:
6 Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.
not seeking glory from men, neither from you, nor from others, though we might have been burdensome, as apostles of Christ.
7 On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children.
But we were gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse cherisheth her own infants.
8 We cared so deeply that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well. That is how beloved you have become to us.
So, tenderly affected towards you, we could with pleasure have imparted to you not the gospel of God only, but our own lives also, because ye were beloved by us.
9 Surely you recall, brothers, our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: for night and day working hard, that we might be no burden to any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.
Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and faultlessly we conducted ourselves among you that believe:
11 For you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children—
as ye know how we treated every one of you, as a father doth his children, exhorting you, and admonishing, and conjuring you,
12 encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
that ye should walk worthy of God, as calling you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the true word of God—the word which is now at work in you who believe.
For this cause do we also give thanks to God unceasingly, because when ye received the word reported by us from God, ye received it not as the word of man, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which worketh also effectually in you that believe.
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,
For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for ye suffered the same things also yourselves from your own countrymen, as they too have of the Jews;
15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,
who both murdered the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are in opposition to all mankind;
16 hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their iniquities always: but wrath is coming upon them to the extremity.
17 Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.
But we, brethren, bereaved of you for a short moment, in person, not in heart, have more abundantly longed to see your face with great desire.
18 For we wanted to come to you—indeed I, Paul, tried again and again—but Satan obstructed us.
Therefore we wished to have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan prevented us.
19 After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
20 You are indeed our glory and our joy.
For ye are our glory and joy.
