1 Tesalonicenses 3
1 Así que cuando ya no pudimos aguantar más, decidimos que sería mejor quedarnos en Atenas,
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 y enviarles a Timoteo. Él es nuestro hermano y compañero en la obra de Dios y en la predicación de la buena nueva de Cristo. Lo enviamos para fortalecerlos y animarlos en su fe en Dios
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 para que ninguno de ustedes sufriera descontento por las dificultades, pues ustedes saben que hemos de esperar tales cosas.
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 Incluso mientras estuvimos con ustedes, siempre les advertíamos que pronto sufriríamos persecución y ustedes saben bien que eso es exactamente lo que ha sucedido.
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 Es por eso que, cuando no pude soportar más, mandé a preguntar si ustedes todavía tenían fe en Dios. Pues estaba preocupado de que el Diablo hubiera tenido éxito en tentarlos y que nuestra obra hubiera sido en vano.
[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 Ahora Timoteo ha vuelto después de haberlos visitado, y nos ha traído buenas noticias sobre su fe en Dios y el amor que tienen. Nos ha dicho que aún tienen recuerdos gratos de nosotros, y que anhelan vernos así como nosotros deseamos verlos a ustedes.
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 Esto realmente nos ha animado en nuestros propios momentos de dificultad, hermanos y hermanas, sabiendo que ustedes siguen aferrándose a su fe en Dios.
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 Para nosotros, la vida vale la pena porque ustedes están firmes en el Señor.
Now we feel very encouraged [IDM] that you continue to strongly [trust] in the Lord [Jesus].
9 Al ir a la presencia de Dios no tenemos palabras suficientes para agradecerle por toda la alegría que ustedes nos causan.
(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 Día y noche oramos de corazón, esperando verlos nuevamente cara a cara, y ayudarlos a seguir desarrollando su fe en Dios.
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 Quiera nuestro Padre y nuestro Señor Jesús permitir que podamos ir a verlos pronto.
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 Que el Señor aumente el amor que se tienen los unos hacia los otros, y hacia todos los demás, hasta que sobreabunde, así como nosotros los amamos a ustedes.
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 Y que así el Señor pueda fortalecerlos para que puedan estar firmes y con pensamientos santos y sin mancha ante nuestro Dios y Padre en la venida de nuestro Señor Jesús, con todos sus santos.
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.
