1 Thessalonians 2
1 Now you yourselves know, brothers, that our entrance to you did not happen without purpose.
For ye know yourselves, brethren, our entering in which [we had] to you, that it has not been in vain;
2 Rather, in spite of having already suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, we made bold in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God, in the face of strong opposition.
but, having suffered before and been insulted, even as ye know, in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the glad tidings of God with much earnest striving.
3 Further, our exhortation does not spring from delusion or impurity, nor is it in deception,
For our exhortation [was] not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile;
4 but we speak precisely as those who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, not so as to please men, but to please the God who evaluates our hearts.
but even as we have been approved of God to have the glad tidings entrusted to us, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who proves our hearts.
5 Further, you well know that we never used words to flatter, or to disguise greed (God is witness),
For we have not at any time been [among you] with flattering discourse, even as ye know, nor with a pretext for covetousness, God [is] witness;
6 or to seek glory from men (whether from you or from others)—as apostles of Christ we could have been ‘heavy’,
nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others, when we might have been a charge as Christ's apostles;
7 but we were gentle among you, like a nurse cherishing her own children.
but have been gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse would cherish her own children.
8 Yearning over you in this way, we were well pleased to share with you not only the Gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become dear to us.
Thus, yearning over you, we had found our delight in having imparted to you not only the glad tidings of God, but our own lives also, because ye had become beloved of us.
9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and exertion, because working night and day, so as not to burden any of you, we proclaimed the Gospel of God to you.
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: working night and day, not to be chargeable to any one of you, we have preached to you the glad tidings of God.
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;
Ye [are] witnesses, and God, how piously and righteously and blamelessly we have conducted ourselves with you that believe:
11 indeed, you know how we treated each one of you as a father does his own children, exhorting and comforting you,
as ye know how, as a father his own children, we used to exhort each one of you, and comfort and testify,
12 insisting that you conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
that ye should walk worthy of God, who calls you to his own kingdom and glory.
13 Another reason we give thanks to God continually is that when you received from us the spoken Word of God, you welcomed it not as the word of men but, as it actually is, the Word of God, which is indeed operative in you who believe.
And for this cause we also give thanks to God unceasingly that, having received [the] word of [the] report of God by us, ye accepted, not men's word, but, even as it is truly, God's word, which also works in you who believe.
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God's congregations in Christ Jesus, the ones in Judea, in that you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen that they did from the Jews
For ye, brethren, have become imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; for ye also have suffered the same things of your own countrymen as also they of the Jews,
15 (the ones who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, who have persecuted us, who do not please God and are hostile to everybody,
who have both slain the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and have driven us out by persecution, and do not please God, and [are] against all men,
16 trying to prevent us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved—so as to fill up the measure of their sins. They have received the full impact of the Wrath).
forbidding us to speak to the nations that they may be saved, that they may fill up their sins always: but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
17 Now we, brothers, having been bereaved of you for a short season (in presence, not in heart), made every effort to see your face, from intense longing.
But we, brethren, having been bereaved of you and separated for a little moment in person, not in heart, have used more abundant diligence to see your face with much desire;
18 (We actually tried to come to you—I, Paul, time and again—but Satan thwarted us.)
wherefore we have desired to come to you, even I Paul, both once and twice, and Satan has hindered us.
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Is it not precisely you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
For what [is] our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting? [are] not ye also before our Lord Jesus at his coming?
20 Indeed, you are our glory and our joy.
for ye are our glory and joy.
