1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13

New King James Version

⁹For you remember, brethren, our ^(A)labor and toil; for laboring night and day, ^(B)that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

¹⁰^(C)You are witnesses, and God also, ^(D)how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and ^[a]charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ¹²^(E)that you would walk worthy of God ^(F)who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Their Conversion

¹³For this reason we also thank God ^(G)without ceasing, because when you ^(H)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(I)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(J)works in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brethren, became imitators ^(K)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(L)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ¹⁵^(M)who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(N)their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God ^(O)and are ^[b]contrary to all men, ¹⁶^(P)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always ^(Q)to fill up the measure of their sins; ^(R)but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Longing to See Them

¹⁷But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time ^(S)in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but ^(T)Satan hindered us. ¹⁹For ^(U)what is our hope, or joy, or ^(V)crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the ^(W)presence of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(X)at His coming? ²⁰For you are our glory and joy.

Concern for Their Faith

3 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, ²and sent ^(Y)Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, ³^(Z)that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that ^(AA)we are appointed to this. ⁴^(AB)For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. ⁵For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, ^(AC)lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and ^(AD)our labor might be in vain.

Encouraged by Timothy

⁶^(AE)But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, ^(AF)as we also to see you— ⁷therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress ^(AG)we were comforted concerning you by your faith. ⁸For now we live, if you ^(AH)stand fast in the Lord.

⁹For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, ¹⁰night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face ^(AI)and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Prayer for the Church

¹¹Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(AJ)direct our way to you. ¹²And may the Lord make you increase and ^(AK)abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, ¹³so that He may establish ^(AL)your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.