1 Thessalonians 1

1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace.

To the Thessalonian Church in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. May God bless you and give you peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention in our prayers;

We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all;

3 incessantly remembering your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before God even our Father;

recalling continually before our God and Father the efforts that have resulted from your faith, the toil prompted by your love, and the patient endurance sustained by your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election,

Brothers, whom God loves, we know that he has chosen you,

5 because our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as you know what sort we were among you for your sakes.

because the Good News that we brought came home to you, not merely as so many words, but with a power and a fulness of conviction due to the Holy Spirit. For you know the life that we lived among you for your good.

6 And you became imitators of us, and the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation, with the joy of the Holy Ghost;

And you yourselves began to follow, not only our example, but the Master’s also; and, in spite of much suffering, you welcomed the Message with a joy inspired by the Holy Spirit,

7 so that you are an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

and so became a pattern to all who believed in Christ throughout Macedonia and Greece.

8 For from you the word of the Lord echoed out, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith which is towards God has gone forth; so that we have no need to say any thing:

For it was from you that the Lord’s Message resounded throughout Macedonia and Greece; and, more than that, your faith in God has become known far and wide; so that there is no need for us to say another word.

9 for they proclaim concerning what kind of reception we had unto you; and how you turned to God from the idols, to serve the true and the living God,

Indeed, in speaking about us, the people themselves tell of the reception you gave us, and how, turning to God from your idols, you became servants of the true and living God,

10 and to await his Son out of the heavens, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus the one delivering us from the wrath to come.

and are now awaiting the return from Heaven of his Son whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, our deliverer from the Coming Wrath.