1 Thessalonians 3

1 Therefore when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone,

And so, as we could bear it no longer, we made up our minds to remain behind alone at Athens,

2 and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith,

and sent Timothy, our dear friend and God’s minister of the good news of the Christ, to strengthen you, and to encourage you in your faith,

3 that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.

so that none of you should be shaken by the troubles through which you are passing. You yourselves know that we are destined to meet with such things.

4 For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know.

For, even while we were with you, we warned you beforehand that we were certain to encounter trouble. And so it proved, as you know.

5 For this cause I also, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain.

Therefore, since I could no longer endure the uncertainty, I sent to make inquiries about your faith, fearing that the Tempter had tempted you, and that our toil might prove to have been in vain.

6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you.

But, when Timothy recently returned to us from you with good news of your faith and love, and told us how kindly you think of us – always longing, he said, to see us, just as we are longing to see you –

7 For this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith.

on hearing this, we felt encouraged about you, friends, in the midst of all our difficulties and troubles, by your faith.

8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

For it is new life to us to know that you are holding fast to the Lord.

9 For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God,

How can we thank God enough for all the happiness that you are giving us in the sight of our God?

10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face, and make good any deficiency in your faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.

May our God and Father himself, and Jesus, our Lord, make the way plain for us to come to you.

12 May the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men, even as we also do toward you,

And for you, may the Lord fill you to overflowing with love for one another and for everyone, just as we are filled with love for you;

13 to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

and so make your hearts strong, and your lives pure beyond reproach, in the sight of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus, with all his Holy Ones.