Thessalonicenses I 3

1 Propter quod non sustinentes amplius, placuit nobis remanere Athenis, solis:

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

2 et misimus Timotheum fratrem nostrum, et ministrum Dei in Evangelio Christi, ad confirmandos vos, et exhortandos pro fide vestra:

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 ut nemo moveatur in tribulationibus istis: ipsi enim scitis quod in hoc positi sumus.

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 Nam et cum apud vos essemus, prædicebamus vobis passuros nos tribulationes, sicut et factum est, et scitis.

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 Propterea et ego amplius non sustinens, misi ad cognoscendam fidem vestram: ne forte tentaverit vos is qui tentat, et inanis fiat labor noster.

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 Nunc autem veniente Timotheo ad nos a vobis, et annuntiante nobis fidem et caritatem vestram, et quia memoriam nostri habetis bonam semper, desiderantes nos videre, sicut et nos quoque vos:

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 ideo consolati sumus, fratres, in vobis in omni necessitate et tribulatione nostra, per fidem vestram,

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

8 quoniam nunc vivimus, si vos statis in Domino.

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

9 Quam enim gratiarum actionem possumus Deo retribuere pro vobis in omni gaudio, quo gaudemus propter vos ante Deum nostrum,

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

10 nocte ac die abundantius orantes, ut videamus faciem vestram, et compleamus ea quæ desunt fidei vestræ?

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

11 Ipse autem Deus, et Pater noster, et Dominus noster Jesus Christus, dirigat viam nostram ad vos.

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

12 Vos autem Dominus multiplicet, et abundare faciat caritatem vestram in invicem, et in omnes, quemadmodum et nos in vobis:

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 ad confirmanda corda vestra sine querela in sanctitate, ante Deum et Patrem nostrum, in adventu Domini nostri Jesu Christi cum omnibus sanctis ejus. Amen.

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.