1 Thessaloniciens 3
1 C’est pourquoi, n’y tenant plus, nous avons trouvé bon d’être laissés seuls à Athènes,
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],
2 et nous avons envoyé Timothée, notre frère et compagnon d’œuvre sous Dieu dans l’évangile du Christ, pour vous affermir et vous encourager touchant votre foi,
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].
3 afin que nul ne soit ébranlé dans ces tribulations; car vous savez vous-mêmes que nous sommes destinés à cela.
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].
4 Car aussi, quand nous étions auprès de vous, nous vous avons dit d’avance que nous aurions à subir des tribulations, comme cela est aussi arrivé, et comme vous le savez.
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!
5 C’est pourquoi moi aussi, n’y tenant plus, j’ai envoyé afin de connaître [ce qui en était de] votre foi, de peur que le tentateur ne vous ait tentés, et que notre travail ne soit rendu vain.
[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]).
6 Mais Timothée venant d’arriver de chez vous auprès de nous, et nous ayant apporté les bonnes nouvelles de votre foi et de votre amour, et [nous ayant dit] que vous gardez toujours un bon souvenir de nous, désirant ardemment de nous voir, comme nous aussi nous désirons vous voir;
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.
7 – c’est pourquoi, frères, nous avons été consolés à votre sujet par votre foi, dans toute notre nécessité et dans notre tribulation;
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].
8 car maintenant nous vivons, si vous tenez fermes dans le Seigneur.
Now we feel very encouraged [IDM] that you continue to strongly [trust] in the Lord [Jesus].
9 Car comment pourrions-nous rendre à Dieu assez d’actions de grâces pour vous, pour toute la joie avec laquelle nous nous réjouissons à cause de vous devant notre Dieu,
(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!
10 priant nuit et jour très instamment, pour que nous voyions votre visage et que nous suppléions à ce qui manque à votre foi!
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!
11 Or que notre Dieu et Père lui-même, et notre seigneur Jésus, nous fraie le chemin auprès de vous;
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.
12 et quant à vous, que le Seigneur vous fasse abonder et surabonder en amour les uns envers les autres et envers tous, comme nous aussi envers vous,
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.
13 pour affermir vos cœurs sans reproche en sainteté devant notre Dieu et Père en la venue de notre seigneur Jésus avec tous ses saints.
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.
