1 Thessalonians 3

1 As a result of that, when I could no longer endure [worrying about you], I decided that [Silas and I] would stay behind alone in Athens [city],

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

2 and we two sent Timothy [to you. You know that he is] our close associate and also works for God by [proclaiming] the message about Christ. [Silas and I sent him] in order that he would urge you to continue to strongly trust [in Christ].

and sent Timothy, our Brother and God’s minister of the Good News of the Christ, to strengthen you, and to encourage you in your faith,

3 We wanted none [of you] to consider turning away from Christ as a result of [people] causing you to suffer. You know that [God has] planned that [we who trust in him will suffer like that when people do that to us who trust in him].

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.

4 Remember that when we were present with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted {that [people] would cause us to suffer}. And because that is what happened, you know that [what we said] was true!

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.

5 [I was] afraid that [Satan], the one who tempts us, had caused you [to stop trusting in Christ. If that had happened], we would have worked uselessly [while we were present with you! So] I sent [Timothy to you] in order to find out whether or not you were [still] trusting [in Christ]. I sent him because I could no longer endure [not knowing (about your spiritual condition/whether or not you were still trusting in Christ]).

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.

6 Now Timothy has just returned to Silas and me from [being with] you, and he has told us the good news that you [still] trust [in Christ] and that you love [him] (OR, [each other]). He told us also that you always happily remember us [and that] you strongly desire that we visit you, just like we strongly desire to visit you.

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 —

7 My fellow believers, [even though] we are suffering very much [DOU] because of what people are doing to us here, we have been cheered up because [Timothy told us about] your [still] trusting [in Christ].

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

8 Now we feel very encouraged [IDM] that you continue to strongly [trust] in the Lord [Jesus].

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

9 (We cannot thank God adequately for [what he has done for] you!/How can we thank God enough for [what he has done for] you?) [RHQ] We greatly rejoice concerning you [when we pray to] our God!

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

10 We constantly [HYP] and fervently/earnestly ask [God] that [we will be able] to visit you [SYN] and that [we will be able] to help you to trust [in Christ/God] more strongly!

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

11 We pray to God, our Father, and to our Lord Jesus, that they will (clear the way/make it possible) so that we can return to you.

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

12 As for you, we pray that the Lord Jesus will help you to love each other and other people more and more, just like we continue loving you more and more.

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

13 We pray that our Lord Jesus will strengthen your resolve to do what pleases God (OR, strengthen you spiritually). We pray that God our Father will enable you to conduct your lives in a way that is pure and that no one can justly criticize, so that when Jesus comes back to earth accompanied by all those who belong to him, he will be pleased with you.

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.