1 Thessalonians 2
1 My fellow believers, you know that our time with you was very worthwhile/effective [LIT].
Kjære søsken, dere kjenner selv til at besøket vårt hos dere ikke ble uten resultater.
2 Although [people] in Philippi [city] previously mistreated us [(exc)] and insulted us, as you know, our God caused us to be courageous. As a result, we told you the good message [that originates/comes from] God, even though some [people in your city] also strongly (opposed [us/tried to prevent us from telling God’s message]).
Vi hadde, som dere vet, blitt mishandlet og forulempet i Filippi like før vi kom til dere. Gud ga oss mot til å fortelle det glade budskapet om Jesus for dere, til tross for tøff motstand.
3 When we exhorted/urged (OR, tried to convince) [you to obey God’s message], we did not tell you an untrue message. Instead, we told you a true message. We do not [want to get something for ourselves] by immoral means. We do not try to deceive [you or other people].
Det beviser vel mer enn ord at budskapet vårt ikke er falskt, og at vi ikke har uverdige motiv eller noen bedragerske hensikter.
4 On the contrary, we tell God’s message because he trusted us to do that, because he examined us and considered us [to be acceptable to tell people] the message about Christ. As we teach people, we do not say what they like to hear. Instead, [we say what] God [wants us to say, because] he examines everything that we think and what we desire.
Nei, Gud har testet oss og funnet oss verdige til å holde fram det glade budskapet. Derfor taler vi som vi gjør. Vi forandrer ikke budskapet for å tilfredsstille menneskene. Den vi vil tilfredsstille, er Gud, som kjenner våre ekte motiv.
5 We never (flattered you/said nice things about you insincerely), as you know. We were never greedy, so we never needed to use words to (hide greediness [from you/cause you to think that we were not greedy]). God knows that this is true!
Vi har aldri forsøkt å vinne dere ved smiger, det vet dere, og har heller aldri forsøkt å utnytte dere. Det kan Gud bekrefte.
6 We never tried to get people [to honor us],
Vi har ikke strevet etter å bli æret av dere eller noen andre.
7 although we could have demanded [that you should honor/respect us], because we are apostles [who represent] (OR, [speak for]) Christ. On the contrary, we were gentle when we were among you, as a mother [gently] takes care of her own children [SIM].
Som utsendinger for Kristus kunne vi kreve en viss respekt. Nei, i stedet behandlet vi dere med den kjærlighet en mor viser når hun steller barna sine.
8 So, because we love you, we were delighted to personally tell you the good message that God [gave us]. But also we were delighted to lovingly do all that we could do to help you [SYN] because (you had become very dear to us/we had begun to love you very much).
Vi elsker dere så høyt at vi ikke bare ga dere det glade budskapet fra Gud, men også var villige til å risikere livet for dere. Vi hjalp dere på alle måter.
9 My fellow believers, you remember that we worked very hard [DOU] [in order to] ([support ourselves/earn money to buy what we needed]) [while we were with you]. We worked [during the] day and [also at] night in order that we would not have to ask any one of you to give us what we needed, [while] we proclaimed to you the good message that God [gave us].
Dere kan sikkert huske, kjære søsken, hvordan vi kjempet og slet da vi var hos dere. Dag og natt arbeidet vi, slik at dere ikke skulle behøve å forsørge oss mens vi fortalte Guds glade budskap for dere.
10 You know that it is true, and God knows that it is true, that we conducted our lives in a very pure, right, and faultless [DOU] manner toward you believers.
Både dere og Gud kan vitne om at vi fulgte hans vilje da vi var hos dere troende. Vi handlet ikke galt mot noen, og det finnes ikke noe å anklage oss for.
11 You know also that [we lovingly behaved/acted toward] each one of you, just like a father [lovingly behaves/acts toward] his own children [SIM].
Dere vet også at vi ga råd og oppmuntret hver og en av dere personlig, som en far som snakker med sine barn. Vi bønnfalt dere om å leve slik at livet deres ærer Gud som har innbudt dere til å tilhøre hans folk og dele hans herlighet.
12 [Specifically, we] kept strongly exhorting/urging and encouraging you that you conduct your lives in the way that God’s people should, [because] he has invited you to become his people over whom he will rule in a wonderful way [HEN].
13 We also continually thank God because when you heard the message [that] we told to you, you accepted it as the true message, the good message that God [gave to us]. We did not invent it. [We also thank God] that he is changing your lives because you trust this message [PRS].
Derfor takker vi ofte Gud for at dere ikke bare tok imot budskapet som om det var noe fra oss selv, men som et budskap fra Gud. Det er virkelig et budskap fra Gud, og det fortsetter å påvirke alle som tror.
14 My fellow believers, we [know that you sincerely believed the message from God], because the manner in which you acted was just like the manner in which [the congregations] in Judea acted. They also [worship] God, [and they] ([have a close relationship with/are united to]) Christ Jesus. Specifically, you endured it [when] your own countrymen [mistreated you because you believe the message from God], in the same manner that those [Jewish believers in Judea] endured it [when] the Jews [who do not believe in Christ mistreated them].
Kjære søsken, dere har fått lide på samme måten som Guds menigheter i Judea, som lever i fellesskap med Jesus Kristus. Dere har blitt forfulgt av egne landsmenn på samme måten som de i Judea har blitt plaget av sine landsmenn, som er jødene.
15 [Unbelieving Jews are] the ones whom God considers guilty [for] killing the Lord Jesus, as well as [for killing] many prophets. Other unbelieving Jews forced us to leave [many towns]. They really make God angry; and [they are] opposed to [what is best for] all human beings!
Noen av jødene drepte Herren Jesus, akkurat som forfedrene deres drepte profetene som bar fram Guds budskap. Andre av jødene forfølger også oss. De spør ikke etter Guds vilje, men er fiender av alle.
16 [Specifically], when we tell [the good message] to non-Jewish people in order that they can be saved {[that God] will save them} [spiritually], these [unbelieving Jews] try to stop/prevent us from doing that. Because they continually sin more and more, they are almost reaching the limit that has been [set by God] [MET]! [God] will soon punish them [MTY], at last, for all their sins!
De forsøker å hindre oss fra å snakke til andre folk for at de kan bli frelst. Nå er imidlertid målet i ferd med å renne over for Gud. De vil en dag bli straffet for syndene sine.
17 My fellow believers, when for a short time [IDM] [those people forced us to be separated] from you, [we felt like parents] (who had lost all their children/whose children had died) [MET]. [Although] we were far away from you, [we were still] emotionally [concerned about you], and we strongly desired to be present with you.
Kjære søsken, vi har nå en tid vært skilt fra dere, selv om dere stadig er i våre tanker. Derfor har vi gjort alt for å treffe dere igjen, etter som vi så sterkt lengter etter dere.
18 [You can know that] we wanted to return to you. Indeed I, Paul, [tried to return] twice [IDM]. But [we did not return because] each time Satan [prevented us from returning].
Vi har forsøkt å reise til dere. Jeg, Paulus, har forsøkt mer enn en gang, men Satan har hindret oss.
19 [We were strongly desiring to be with you], because truly you [RHQ] [are the ones about whom we are proud and joyful]! It is because we are confident that you [will] ([remain faithful/continue believing in God]) that we [will be] joyful! You are the ones who we confidently expect [will keep strongly trusting in God!] It is because you [will] ([remain faithful/continue believing in God]) that we [will] be proud [of the work that we have done] [MET, RHQ] [when] our Lord Jesus [examines what we all have done, at the time] when he comes back [to earth]!
Dere er vårt håp og vår glede. Den seierskransen kan vi med stolthet vise fram, når vår Herre Jesus kommer igjen.
20 Indeed, it is because of you that [even now we] are pleased and joyful!
Ja, dere er vår stolthet og vår glede.
