1 Thessaloniciens 3
1 C’est pourquoi ne supportant pas un plus long délai, nous préférâmes demeurer 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 envoyâmes Timothée, notre frère, et ministre de Dieu dans l’Evangile du Christ, pour vous affermir et vous encourager dans 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 personne ne fût ébranlé dans ces tribulations; car vous savez vous-mêmes que c’est à cela que nous sommes destinés.
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 Et lors même que nous étions près de vous, nous vous prédisions que nous aurions à souffrir des tribulations; ce qui est arrivé, en effet, 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 Pour moi donc, ne supportant pas un plus long délai, j’envoyai pour connaître votre foi, de peur que celui qui tente ne vous eût tentés, et que notre travail ne devînt inutile.
[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 maintenant Timothée étant revenu d’auprès de vous vers nous, et nous ayant annoncé votre foi, votre charité, et que vous avez toujours un bon souvenir de nous, désirant nous voir, comme nous le désirons nous-mêmes,
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 Nous avons été ainsi consolés en vous par votre foi au milieu de toutes nos peines et de toutes nos tribulations.
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 demeurez fermes dans le Seigneur.
Now we feel very encouraged [IDM] that you continue to strongly [trust] in the Lord [Jesus].
9 Et quelles actions de grâces pourrions-nous rendre à Dieu pour toute la joie dont nous nous réjouissons devant notre Dieu à cause de vous,
(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 Demandant avec instance nuit et jour de voir votre face, et de compléter 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 Que ce même Dieu donc, notre Père, et Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ dirige notre voie vers 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 que le Seigneur vous multiplie, et fasse abonder la charité que vous avez les uns envers les autres et envers tous, comme la nôtre abonde 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 fortifier vos cœurs sans reproche en sainteté, devant notre Dieu et Père, à l’avènement de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ avec tous ses saints. Amen.
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.
