1 Thessalonians 2
1 For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain,
Yes, friends, you yourselves know that your reception of us was not without result.
2 but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict.
For, although we had experienced suffering and ill treatment, as you know, at Philippi, we had the courage, by the help of our God, to tell you God’s good news in spite of great opposition.
3 For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception.
Our appeal to you was not based on a delusion, nor was it made from unworthy motives, or with any intention of misleading you.
4 But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak—not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.
But, having been found worthy by God to be entrusted with the good news, therefore we tell it; with a view to please, not people, but God who proves our hearts.
5 For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),
Never at any time, as you know, did we use the language of flattery, or make false professions in order to hide selfish aims. God will bear witness to that.
6 nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as emissaries of Messiah.
Nor did we seek to win honour from people, whether from you or from others, although, as apostles of Christ, we might have burdened you with our support.
7 But we were gentle amongst you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
But we lived among you with the simplicity of a child; we were like a woman nursing her own children.
8 Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.
In our strong affection for you, that seemed to us the best way of sharing with you, not only God’s good news, but our lives as well – so dear had you become to us.
9 For you remember, brothers, our labour and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.
You will not have forgotten, friends, our labour and toil. Night and day we used to work at our trades, so as not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you God’s good news.
10 You are witnesses with God how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves towards you who believe.
You will bear witness, and God also, that our relations with you who believed in Christ were pure, and upright, and beyond reproach.
11 As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children,
Indeed, you know that, like a father with his own children, we used to encourage and comfort every one of you, and solemnly plead with you;
12 to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.
so that you should make your daily lives worthy of God who is calling you into the glory of his kingdom.
13 For this cause we also thank God without ceasing that when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, God’s word, which also works in you who believe.
This, too, is a reason why we, on our part, are continually thanking God – because, in receiving the teaching that you had from us, you accepted it, not as the teaching of humans, but as what it really is – the teaching of God, which is even now doing its work within you who believe in Christ.
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Messiah Yeshua; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Judeans
For you, friends, began to follow the example of the churches of God in Judea which are in union with Jesus Christ; you, in your turn, suffering at the hands of your fellow citizens, in the same way as those churches did at the hands of their people –
15 who killed both the Lord Yeshua and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men,
who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us also. They do not try to please God, and they are enemies to all humanity,
16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.
for they try to prevent us from speaking to the Gentiles with a view to their salvation, and so are always filling up the measure of their iniquity. But the wrath of God has come upon them to the full!
17 But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire,
As for ourselves, friends, our having been bereaved of you even for a short time – though in body only, and not in spirit – made us all the more eager to see your faces again; and the longing to do so was strong on us.
18 because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us.
That was why we made up our minds to go and see you – at least I, Paul, did, more than once – but Satan put difficulties in our way.
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Yeshua at his coming?
For what hope or joy will be ours, or what crown will we have to boast of, in the presence of our Lord Jesus, at his coming, if it isn’t you?
20 For you are our glory and our joy.
You are our pride and our delight!
