1 Paul, Silas^[a](A) and Timothy,^(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians^(C) in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

² Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(D)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ We ought always to thank God for you,^(E) brothers and sisters,^[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.^{(F) 4} Therefore, among God’s churches we boast^(G) about your perseverance and faith^(H) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.^(I)

⁵ All this is evidence^(J) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy^(K) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just:^(L) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you^{(M) 7} and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven^(N) in blazing fire^(O) with his powerful angels.^{(P) 8} He will punish^(Q) those who do not know God^(R) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.^{(S) 9} They will be punished with everlasting destruction^(T) and shut out from the presence of the Lord^(U) and from the glory of his might^{(V) 10} on the day^(W) he comes to be glorified^(X) in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.^(Y)

¹¹ With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,^(Z) that our God may make you worthy^(AA) of his calling,^(AB) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness^(AC) and your every deed prompted by faith.^{(AD) 12} We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,^(AE) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.^[c]

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 Jesus entered Jericho^(A) and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig^(B) tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.^(C)

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”^(D)

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,^(E) “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything,^(F) I will pay back four times the amount.”^(G)

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.^{(H) 10} For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”^(I)