1 Thessalonians 3

1 And so, as we could bear it no longer, we made up our minds to remain behind alone at Athens,

So when we could endure it no longer, we decided to remain behind in Athens alone;

2 and sent Timothy, our dear friend and God’s minister of the good news of the Christ, to strengthen you, and to encourage you in your faith,

and sent Timothy our brother and God's minister in the service of Christ's Good News, that he might help you spiritually and encourage you in your faith;

3 so that none of you should be shaken by the troubles through which you are passing. You yourselves know that we are destined to meet with such things.

that none of you might be unnerved by your present trials: for you yourselves know that they are our appointed lot.

4 For, even while we were with you, we warned you beforehand that we were certain to encounter trouble. And so it proved, as you know.

For even when we were with you, we forewarned you, saying, "We are soon to suffer affliction;" and this actually happened, as you well know.

5 Therefore, since I could no longer endure the uncertainty, I sent to make inquiries about your faith, fearing that the Tempter had tempted you, and that our toil might prove to have been in vain.

For this reason I also, when I could no longer endure the uncertainty, sent to know the condition of your faith, lest perchance the Tempter might have tempted you and our labour have been lost.

6 But, when Timothy recently returned to us from you with good news of your faith and love, and told us how kindly you think of us – always longing, he said, to see us, just as we are longing to see you –

But now that Timothy has recently come back to us from you, and has brought us the happy tidings of your faith and love, and has told us how you still cherish a constant and affectionate recollection of us, and are longing to see us as we also long to see you--

7 on hearing this, we felt encouraged about you, friends, in the midst of all our difficulties and troubles, by your faith.

for this reason in our distress and trouble we have been comforted about you, brethren, by your faith.

8 For it is new life to us to know that you are holding fast to the Lord.

For now life is for us life indeed, since you are standing fast in the Lord.

9 How can we thank God enough for all the happiness that you are giving us in the sight of our God?

For what thanksgiving on your behalf can we possibly offer to God in return for all the joy which fills our souls before our God for you,

10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face, and make good any deficiency in your faith.

while night and day, with intense earnestness, we pray that we may see your faces, and may bring to perfection whatever may be still lacking in your faith?

11 May our God and Father himself, and Jesus, our Lord, make the way plain for us to come to you.

But may our God and Father Himself--and our Lord Jesus--guide us on our way to you;

12 And for you, may the Lord fill you to overflowing with love for one another and for everyone, just as we are filled with love for you;

and as for you, may the Lord teach you to love one another and all men, with a growing and a glowing love, resembling our love for you.

13 and so make your hearts strong, and your lives pure beyond reproach, in the sight of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus, with all his Holy Ones.

Thus He will build up your characters, so that you will be faultlessly holy in the presence of our God and Father at the Coming of our Lord Jesus with all His holy ones.