1 Tessalonicesi 2
1 Voi stessi infatti, fratelli, sapete bene che la nostra venuta in mezzo a voi non è stata vana.
My fellow believers, you know that our time with you was very worthwhile/effective [LIT].
2 Ma dopo avere prima sofferto e subìto oltraggi a Filippi, come ben sapete, abbiamo avuto il coraggio nel nostro Dio di annunziarvi il vangelo di Dio in mezzo a molte lotte.
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]).
3 E il nostro appello non è stato mosso da volontà di inganno, né da torbidi motivi, né abbiamo usato frode alcuna;
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].
4 ma come Dio ci ha trovati degni di affidarci il vangelo così lo predichiamo, non cercando di piacere agli uomini, ma a Dio, che prova i nostri cuori.
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.
5 Mai infatti abbiamo pronunziato parole di adulazione, come sapete, né avuto pensieri di cupidigia: Dio ne è testimone.
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!
6 E neppure abbiamo cercato la gloria umana, né da voi né da altri, pur potendo far valere la nostra autorità di apostoli di Cristo.
We never tried to get people [to honor us],
7 Invece siamo stati amorevoli in mezzo a voi come una madre nutre e ha cura delle proprie creature.
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].
8 Così affezionati a voi, avremmo desiderato darvi non solo il vangelo di Dio, ma la nostra stessa vita, perché ci siete diventati cari.
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).
9 Voi ricordate infatti, fratelli, la nostra fatica e il nostro travaglio: lavorando notte e giorno per non essere di peso ad alcuno vi abbiamo annunziato il vangelo di Dio.
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].
10 Voi siete testimoni, e Dio stesso è testimone, come è stato santo, giusto, irreprensibile il nostro comportamento verso di voi credenti;
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.
11 e sapete anche che, come fa un padre verso i propri figli, abbiamo esortato ciascuno di voi,
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].
12 incoraggiandovi e scongiurandovi a comportarvi in maniera degna di quel Dio che vi chiama al suo regno e alla sua gloria.
[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 Proprio per questo anche noi ringraziamo Dio continuamente, perché, avendo ricevuto da noi la parola divina della predicazione, l'avete accolta non quale parola di uomini, ma, come è veramente, quale parola di Dio, che opera in voi che credete.
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].
14 Voi infatti, fratelli, siete diventati imitatori delle Chiese di Dio in Gesù Cristo, che sono nella Giudea, perché avete sofferto anche voi da parte dei vostri connazionali come loro da parte dei Giudei,
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].
15 i quali hanno perfino messo a morte il Signore Gesù e i profeti e hanno perseguitato anche noi; essi non piacciono a Dio e sono nemici di tutti gli uomini,
[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!
16 impedendo a noi di predicare ai pagani perché possano essere salvati. In tal modo essi colmano la misura dei loro peccati! Ma ormai l'ira è arrivata al colmo sul loro capo.
[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!
17 Quanto a noi, fratelli, dopo poco tempo che eravamo separati da voi, di persona ma non col cuore, eravamo nell'impazienza di rivedere il vostro volto, tanto il nostro desiderio era vivo.
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.
18 Perciò abbiamo desiderato una volta, anzi due volte, proprio io Paolo, di venire da voi, ma satana ce lo ha impedito.
[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].
19 Chi infatti, se non proprio voi, potrebbe essere la nostra speranza, la nostra gioia e la corona di cui ci possiamo vantare, davanti al Signore nostro Gesù, nel momento della sua venuta?
[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]!
20 Siete voi la nostra gloria e la nostra gioia.
Indeed, it is because of you that [even now we] are pleased and joyful!
